Construction of Stellantis EV battery module plant remains at stand still

Ford said May 19 that his government would offer more support.

“I will confirm we’re putting more money on the table,” he said after an unrelated announcement in St. Catharines, Ont.

“This is all about saving jobs and giving people the quality of life they deserve in southwestern Ontario.”

The premier wouldn’t provide details on the additional amount of funding the province is prepared to provide.

A Stellantis spokesperson on May 23 said the company has “no new comments or statements at this time.”

“Construction remains stopped for the module building.”

The plant, expected to employ 2,500 people and slated to begin production next year, would be capable of producing 45 gigawatt-hours of lithium ion cells and modules annually to feed Stellantis plants in Canada and the United States.

Cells and modules are two separate parts, both to be assembled at the Windsor site.

Construction on the module portion of the plant was stopped, but work continued elsewhere on site.

Stellantis’ frustration increased after Canada signed a deal April 21 with Volkswagen for a battery gigafactory in St. Thomas, Ont. The federal government has committed to provide up to $13.2 billion in manufacturing tax credits to VW through 2032, while Europe’s largest carmaker is investing up to $7 billion to build the plant.

The incentives nearly match those in the Inflation Reduction Act.