Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Québec Premier François Legault announced on March 15 the details of an approximately $185 million investment in an electric vehicle battery plant in Quebec.
The federal and provincial government have provided an equal investment totalling nearly $100 million to Lion Electric, which will go towards the creation of a highly automated battery-pack assembly in Saint‑Jérôme, Que. — in the Laurentians. The project is expected to create 135 jobs once construction is completed in 2023, and an additional 150 jobs over the long term.
“With today’s announcement, we are continuing to take steps to support our Canadian businesses, invest in innovation, and protect the environment,” said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. “It is because of companies like Lion Electric that we are accelerating our transition to a resilient and competitive clean growth economy.”
The battery packs will be used in Lion Electric vehicles, which includes zero emissions (all-electric) school buses, minibuses and urban Class 8 trucks. The project may not touch directly on the automotive retail industry, but it is a good indication of where the federal mindset is moving with its EV plans. Lion Electric will also be the first Canadian manufacturer of medium- and heavy-duty vehicles with a modern and automated battery-pack manufacturing facility.
On consumer vehicles, Quebec also provides a provincial rebate for EVs that can be complemented with the federal iZEV (Incentives for Zero-Emission Vehicles) rebate, depending on the model.
“With Lion and a number of other companies, Quebec is building expertise in electric transportation,” said Québec Premier François Legault. “This is yet further proof that we have the know-how to produce batteries. Our government is ready to make investments that will put Quebec on the right side of history in terms of the economy.”
The company also intends to establish a research and development innovation centre within its manufacturing plant, and will test innovations from its R&D — including energy storage capacity and battery performance.
