Lion Electric inaugurates its battery manufacturing factory for medium and heavy-duty vehicles
by CM staff
Final certification of the first battery pack model is expected in the first half of 2023, followed by a gradual production ramp-up in 2023.
MIRABEL —The Lion Electric Company has officially inaugurated its new manufacturing factory that will produce lithium-ion batteries for medium and heavy-duty vehicles in Mirabel. The first of its kind in Canada, this 175,000 square feet facility located at the YMX International Aerocity of Mirabel, Quebec will power electric vehicles assembled by Lion at its Saint-Jérôme, Quebec and Joliet, ILmanufacturing plants.
“I am proud that Lion Electric is increasing its production capacity with a new battery facility in Mirabel, with a $50 million loan from our government, which will create 135 high-paying jobs,” said François Legault, Premier of Québec. “Lion is a great Québec success story in an ecosystem that is fundamental to the green economy we are building. Our government is a great believer in the battery industry and projects like this are proof that Québec has all it takes to be a leader in the green economy.”
In the presence of Pierre Fitzgibbon, Minister of Economy, Innovation and Energy and Benoit Charrette, Minister of the Environment, the Fight Against Climate Change, Wildlife and Parks, this event brought together various Lion stakeholders, including customers, employees, partners and members of the electrification of transportation ecosystem in North America.
Following the completion of the installation of the initial portion of the battery assembly line in Mirabel, production of the first battery pack was completed at the end of 2022. Final certification of the first battery pack model is expected in the first half of 2023, followed by a gradual production ramp-up in 2023. The first Lion batteries will serve to power the LionC and LionD school buses and the Lion5 trucks.
The new facility is targeted to reach a production capacity of 1.7 gigawatt hour by the end of the year. At full scale, it should have an annual production capacity of 5 gigawatt hours. This would enable Lion to electrify approximately 14,000 medium and heavy-duty vehicles per year, depending on the vehicle mix.
To date, Lion has delivered over 950 all-electric medium- and heavy-duty vehicles in North America, that have collectively driven more than 10 million miles (16 million kilometers
“I am incredibly proud that we have reached this significant milestone in Lion Electric’s journey,” said Marc Bédard, CEO-Founder, Lion Electric. “This official opening celebrates the culmination of several years of efforts that now allow us to control the manufacturing and integration of one of the fundamental components in the production of electric vehicles and the electrification of transportation – namely the battery. With this new facility, Lion will be able to strengthen its leadership role in the electrification of the transportation ecosystem in Canada and the United States. We look forward to continuing our innovation efforts.”
