Here's where Quebec is investing billions of dollars in the EV battery revolution
It is clear that Premier Francois Legault is intent on making Quebec a global leader for electric vehicle (EV) battery production and development.
He has earmarked billions of public dollars for production of vehicles and batteries in recent years, including the following projects.
Oct. 3, 2023: Northvolt, McMasterville and St-Basile-le-Grand
A $7-billion gigafactory for electric vehicle batteries for Volkswagen, BMW, Volvo and other cars, with the capacity to produce about 30 gigawatt hours of annual cell manufacturing.
- Public funding: $2.9 billion from Quebec, $1.34 billion from Canada
- 3,000 jobs
- Estimated completion date: 2026
Sept. 6, 2023: Volta Energy Solutions, Granby
Solus Advance Materials subsidiary Volta Energy Solutions will produce copper foil for car batteries by retrofitting a facility to the tune of $750 million.
- Public funding: $150 million loan from Quebec ($26 million forgivable). $70 million in green investment tax credits and other programs from Canada
- 260 jobs
- Estimated completion date: 2026
Aug. 17, 2023: Ford and South Korean partners, Becancour
Ford and its South Korean partners are building a $1.2-billion manufacturing plant for EV battery matterial.
- Public funding: $322 million from Quebec and Canada
- 345 jobs
- Estimated completion date: 2026
May 29, 2023: General Motors (GM) - POSCO Chemical, Becancour
Canada and Quebec are partnering to invest in a $600-million factory that will make components for electric vehicle batteries.
- Public funding: $300 million from Quebec and Canada
- 200 jobs
- Estimated completion date: 2025
Oct. 11, 2022: Rio Tinto, Sorel-Tracy
Rio Tinto will spend $737 million to increase critical mineral production at its existing facility, including expanding titanium production, adding lithium and quadrupling production of scandium.
- Public funding: $222 million from Canada
- 150 jobs
- Estimated completion date: 2030
April 7, 2022: Prevost, Sainte-Claire, Beauce-Appalaches
Money invested for Prevost to accelerate the electrification of its vehicles.
- Public funding: $22.6 million ($15.5 million loan, and $7.5 million grant)
- No job numbers or completion date was given
March 4, 2022: BASF, Bécancour
German multinational BASF will build a $700-million cathode-active materials production and recycling plant.
- No public money announced
- 100 jobs
- Estimated completion date: 2025
June 8, 2021: Nova Bus, Saint-Eustache, Saint-François-du-Lac
An $184.5 million upgrade to existing manufacturing facilities to reduce emissions, expand research to produce zero-emission transit buses.
- Public money: $15 million from Canada
- Maintain 1,100 jobs
- Estimated completion date: unknown
March 15, 2021: Lion Electric, Saint-Jerome
An $185 million Automated battery pack assembly plant to make batteries for Lion Electric's commercial EV products, including school buses, transit buses, semi-trucks and bucket trucks.
- Public money: $50 million from Quebec and Canada
- Maintain 1,100 jobs
- Estimated completion date: 2023
- With reporting from The Canadian Press
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Parliament on the road to an unprecedented confidence crisis, but there are off-ramps
If no political party is willing to say uncle, the drawn-out stalemate in the House of Commons is heading for an unprecedented situation that could amount to a tacit lack of confidence in the government, without anyone in Parliament casting a vote.
Danielle Smith '1,000 per cent' in favour of ousting Mexico from trilateral trade deal with U.S. and Canada
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says she agrees it could be time to cut Mexico out of the trilateral free trade agreement with Canada and the United States.
'We're not the bad boy': Charity pushes back on claims made by 101-year-old widow in $40M will dispute
Centenarian Mary McEachern says she knew what her husband wanted when he died. The problem is, his will says otherwise.
How a viral, duct-taped banana came to be worth US$1 million
The yellow banana fixed to the white wall with silver duct tape is a work entitled 'Comedian,' by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan. It first debuted in 2019 as an edition of three fruits at the Art Basel Miami Beach fair, where it became a much-discussed sensation.
Slightly reshaped Giller Prize to go on, despite boycotts and protests
The shine on CanLit's glitziest night has dulled, at least according to some, amid sustained backlash against the Giller Foundation for maintaining ties with lead sponsor Scotiabank and other funders linked to Israel.
Gabbard's sympathetic views toward Russia cause alarm as Trump's pick to lead intelligence services
Tulsi Gabbard, U.S. president-elect Donald Trump's choice to lead the U.S. intelligence services, in 2022 endorsed one of Russia's main justifications for invading Ukraine: the existence of dozens of U.S.-funded biolabs working on some of the world's nastiest pathogens.
A gold pocket watch given to the captain who rescued Titanic survivors sells for record price
A gold pocket watch given to the ship captain who rescued 700 survivors from the Titanic sold at auction for nearly US$2 million, setting a record for memorabilia from the ship wreck.
Russia grinds deeper into Ukraine after 1,000 days of grueling war
When Russian tanks rolled into Ukraine in February 2022, the conventional wisdom was that the capital, Kyiv, would soon fall and the rest of the country wouldn't last long against a much larger enemy.
'A wake-up call': Union voices safety concerns after student nurse stabbed at Vancouver hospital
The BC Nurses Union is calling for change after a student nurse was stabbed by a patient at Vancouver General Hospital Thursday.