Volkswagen in St. Thomas or the Economic Strengthening of Southwestern Ontario
This newly annexed land in St. Thomas is the future site of Volkswagen's first North American electric vehicle battery plant.
< p class="e-p">The opening of an electric vehicle battery plant by Volkswagen in St. Thomas will help strengthen the economy of Windsor-Essex, says Flavio Volpe, president of the Parts Manufacturers Association automobiles.
These investments reinforce Windsor's role as a key point between Canadian batteries and the US market, says Volpe.
“This is a big win for vendors who need multiple customers to secure their long-term future here.
— Flavio Volpe, President of the Automotive Parts Manufacturers Association
For Mr. Volpe, this is another vote of confidence in Ontario's lucrative battery ecosystem.
For his part, Vice President of Investment Attraction and Strategic Initiatives for Invest Windsor Essex Joe Goncalves is pleased with this announcement.
It's great news for us to see another battery factory set up within a few hundred miles, according to Goncalves.
Windsor is already the future headquarters of the Stellantis electric vehicle battery factory, which will employ around 2,500 people when it opens next year.
L& The opening of the Volkswagen plant is scheduled for 2027.
The number of jobs at the new plant is not yet known.
Southwestern Ontario is strategically positioned in the manufacture of electric vehicle batteries, according to Yan Cimon, professor of strategy in the Faculty of Business Administration. Laval University.
It's a region that is extremely well placed to become this kind of battery cluster, he says.
He says factories making electric vehicles, batteries and their components tend to locate near conventional factories.
According to Invest Windsor Essex , supply chain manufacturers are courting the region which is now becoming an electric car hub.
We work with supply chain companies. x27;supplies that settle here, says Goncalves.
“From [Windsor] to London, we can become a global supply chain hub.
—Joe Goncalves, Vice President for Investment Attraction and Strategic Initiatives at Invest Windsor Essex.
He clarified that his group is regularly in contact with Sarnia and Chatham so that manufacturers who cannot find everything they need in Windsor consider locating in these communities.
We want x27;they stay in the area, he concludes.
According to Mr. Cimon, current investments will have major economic benefits within 10 or 15 years.
Positioning is c' is now because these are investments that are very important. The size of Volkswagen shows that Canada and Ontario are very attractive in the manufacture of electric cars and their components, according to Mr. Cimon.
“There is an ecosystem around engineering, design and high technology that should not be overlooked. »
— Yan Cimon, Professor of Strategy at the Faculty of Administrative Sciences at Laval University
For Mr. Cimon, he doesn' x27; is not excluded to see in the near future other companies settling in Southwestern Ontario because of its geographical position.
With information from CBC and Marine Lefevre
