Electric vehicle battery plant coming to Windsor-Essex in Ontario, sources say

A new plant that makes batteries for electric vehicles will be built in Windsor-Essex in southwestern Ontario, with an official announcement coming next week, CBC has confirmed. 

The plant will be built by Stellantis and LG Energy Solution, according to Bloomberg, which first reported the news on Friday. A source who later spoke to CBC confirmed the report that a plant is coming. 

CBC News has contacted Stellantis and LG Energy Solution for comment, but has not yet received a response.

No further details are yet available, except that more information is coming on March 23. 

Union, MP weigh in

Dave Cassidy, president of Unifor 444 — which represents Stellantis employees — said he didn't know any specifics about the coming plant.

However, he said, it would be great news for Windsor-Essex.

"It would be huge," he said. "You look at the battery plants and the number of people it employes — it would be a great, great story for Windsor-Essex County."

You look at other places, jurisdictions, that have received those types of plants, and you're looking at a multibillion-dollar investment, and you're looking at thousands of jobs.- Irek Kusmierczyk, Windsor-Tecumseh MP

Windsor-Tecumseh MP Irek Kusmierczyk said he was unable to speak specifically Friday to a Windsor-Essex battery plant.

But he also said the project would be a positive thing for the county.

"That's a generational, transformative investment," he said. "You look at other places, jurisdictions, that have received those types of plants, and you're looking at a multibillion-dollar investment, and you're looking at thousands of jobs."

Stellantis and LG Energy Solution announced plans to build a plant in October, but the location was still under review at that time.

The companies said in a joint statement that they hoped to start construction in 2022, and have the plant up and running by early 2024.

Batteries produced at the plant would supply Stellantis assembly facilities in the U.S., Canada and Mexico for use in electric vehicles, the companies said in the fall.