Lion Electric announces the construction of a battery manufacturing facility in Quebec
by CM Staff
With a planned yearly production capacity of 5 gigawatt-hours in battery storage, Lion will be able to electrify approximately 14,000 medium and heavy-duty vehicles annually.
MONTREAL — Lion Electric, a manufacturer of all-electric trucks and buses, announced on Mar. 15 the construction of a battery manufacturing plant and innovation center in Quebec.
The factory is planned to begin operations in early 2023 and will produce battery packs and modules made from Lithium-ion cells. Construction is projected to break ground over the next few months at a location to be confirmed in the near future.
The project and its development represent an investment of approximately $185 million CAD by Lion, who will benefit from important support by the federal and provincial governments of approximately $100 million CAD (amounting to $50 million CAD each). With the construction of the plant, Lion predicts to see a considerable reduction in the cost of its vehicle manufacturing while ensuring control and optimization of a key component of its vehicle supply chain. Given the battery is the most expensive component of an electric vehicle, this new manufacturing capability will have a direct impact on the development of heavy-duty electric transportation while also offering important environmental and economic benefits.
The Prime Minister of Canada, the Right Honourable Justin Trudeau, the Prime Minister of Quebec, Mr. François Legault, the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, François-Philippe Champagne, and the Minister of the Economy and Innovation, Mr. Pierre Fitzgibbon, made the announcement on Mar. 15, accompanied by Mr. Marc Bédard, CEO and Founder of Lion Electric.
“With today’s announcement, we are continuing to take steps to support our Canadian businesses, invest in innovation, and protect the environment. It is because of companies like Lion Electric that we are accelerating our transition to a resilient and competitive clean growth economy.” said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
With a planned yearly production capacity of 5 gigawatt-hours in battery storage, Lion will be able to electrify approximately 14,000 medium and heavy-duty vehicles annually. Lion Electric will be the first Canadian manufacturer of medium and heavy-duty vehicles to equip itself with its own automated battery pack manufacturing capability.
Lion’s innovation center will focus on research and development, with the goal of exploring and achieving new advancements in performance, range, energy capacity and the development of innovative products, and will allow the company the flexibility needed to rapidly adapt to emerging technologies.
The creation of the manufacturing facility is expected to produce a projected 135 direct jobs.
