Ontario and Canada invest hundreds of millions into electric vehicle production at Ford’s Oakville plant

OAKVILLE, ON. Oct. 8, 2020 — The Ontario and Canadian governments are each investing $295 million to retool Ford of Canada’s Oakville Assembly Complex into a global hub for battery electric vehicle production. This $1.8 billion investment represents one of the most significant investments in the province’s auto sector in a generation.

The announcement was made this morning by Premier Doug Ford in front of Oakville’s assembly plant, while Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Navdeep Bains, Federal Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, and Jerry Dias, National President, Unifor spoke virtually from Ottawa.

Dias enthusiastically stated that the retooling of the Oakville plant could result in as many as 3,000 additional jobs.

“By making this investment in Ford Canada, we are ensuring our province continues to lead North America and the world in automotive manufacturing and innovation, while boosting our competitiveness in this key sector,” said Premier Ford. “We are also securing thousands of good-paying jobs, not just at the facility in Oakville, but across the province. This project will help support our auto parts sector and other suppliers and service providers.”

“Today’s announcement is a testament to Canada’s attractiveness as a destination for clean technology, talent, and infrastructure in the automotive industry,” said Prime Minister Trudeau. “Companies like Ford are helping accelerate our transition to a low-carbon, clean-growth economy, which will help protect our environment, drive innovation, and create many good middle-class jobs.”

Ford’s Oakville plant directly employs over 3,000 people and will be modernized with a flexible manufacturing system able to accommodate multiple battery electric vehicle (BEV) models. It will also include the installation of a battery-pack assembly line. The Oakville Assembly Complex will become one of Ford’s highest volume BEV plants in North America, with the first electric vehicles expected to roll off the production line in 2025.

“Any region seeking a long-term future in auto manufacturing must be adding value at every stage of the supply chain, particularly in the two technologies shaping the next generation of vehicles: zero-emissions and connected and autonomous,” said Vic Fedeli, Minister of Economic Development Job Creation and Trade. “Bolstered by strategic government partnerships, Ontario is now at the leading edge. This ongoing collaboration between industry, government and labour will be essential as we face the immense economic challenges of COVID-19 and build for the future.”

The province says building electric vehicles here in Ontario is a critical component in securing future investments across the electric vehicle value chain. This includes opportunities for the province’s mining industry, because electric vehicle batteries require various minerals found in Ontario’s North.

Prime Minister said by ramping up the production of electric vehicles “For our auto sector, for the environment, this is a win-win.”

The investment helps deliver additional good-paying jobs to a struggling auto sectorand should provide Canada with a step up towards meeting the the future global demand for electric vehicles.

This federal and provincial investments are also expected to provide a much needed boost to Ontario’s auto parts industry.

with notes from Government of Ontario

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