Ontario Spending $295 Million On Electric Vehicle Assembly At Oakville Ford Plant
Jay Smith
The Ontario government is matching a $295 million investment with the federal government “to retool Ford of Canada’s Oakville Assembly Complex into a global hub for battery electric vehicle production.”
The province says the $1.8 billion investment represents one of the most significant investments in the province’s auto sector in a generation and positions Ontario’s auto industry for long-term sustainability and growth.
“By making this investment in Ford Canada, we are ensuring our province continues to lead North America and the world in automotive manufacturing and innovation, while boosting our competitiveness in this key sector,” said Premier Ford. “We are also securing thousands of good-paying jobs, not just at the facility in Oakville, but across the province. This project will help support our auto parts sector and other suppliers and service providers.”
“Today’s announcement is a testament to Canada’s attractiveness as a destination for clean technology, talent, and infrastructure in the automotive industry,” said Prime Minister Trudeau. “Companies like Ford are helping accelerate our transition to a low-carbon, clean-growth economy, which will help protect our environment, drive innovation, and create many good middle-class jobs.”
Ford’s Oakville plant directly employs over 3,000 people and will be modernized with a flexible manufacturing system able to accommodate multiple battery electric vehicle (BEV) models. It will also include the installation of a battery-pack assembly line. The Oakville Assembly Complex will become one of Ford’s highest volume BEV plants in North America, with the first electric vehicles expected to roll off the production line in 2025.
The province says building electric vehicles here in Ontario is a critical component in securing future investments across the electric vehicle value chain. This includes opportunities for the province’s mining industry, because electric vehicle batteries require various minerals found in Ontario’s North. In addition to securing the future of the Oakville Assembly Complex, the government says this investment is a major win for the auto parts industry in Ontario and its 63,000 workers who help build parts and components for vehicles assembled in the province and abroad.
