A $69-million dollar electric vehicle battery investment has been announced for Windsor.
Neo Battery Materials will build an 87,000 square foot facility on surplus land at the airport, creating 100 jobs when fully operational.
The Ontario-based company focuses on the development of low-cost, high-capacity silicon anode materials for lithium-ion batteries in electric vehicles,
Danny Huh, senior vice-president of strategy & operations with NEO Battery Materials says silicon anodes are a drop-in solution into lithium ion batteries that can increase battery capacity.
"This milestone investment within Windsor will be transformative, not just for Windsor, but also Ontario as well as Canada because silicon anodes is the only viable material for the short and midterm, to actually increase the EV battery capacity, or any types of battery capacities," he said. "So we see this as one of a key milestone that we've achieved since the inception of the company."
He says they hope to begin construction by years end.
"We believe optimistically in the latter half of this year we'll start breaking ground, and for the period of the next five years we will be able to construct through the full phase of production," said Huh.
Huh says they are not concerned about the 'short term' policy changes made by U.S. president Donald Trump surrounding EVs.
Trump earlier this week issued an executive order that is likely to repeal a $7,500 tax credit for new EV purchases, approved by Congress as part of Biden’s landmark 2022 climate law.
He says their technology will be good for the consumer in the long run.
"So with our implementation of silicon anodes within electric vehicles, we drastically reduce the price of batteries, and in turn, the automotive OEM's will be able to produce that are priced much lower and priced competitively with the gasoline powered vehicles," Huh said.
Through a Community Improvement Plan, City Council has approved in principle a grant for the company to support their operations.
Windsor mayor Drew Dilkens says he too is not concerned over Trump, and says EVs are the way forward.
"I think it's fair to say when you look at 16 per cent adoption in EVs and growing, there is a wave coming, for those of us, for those of you, I own an electric vehicle, I don't ever want to go back," Dilkens said. "I think they are the most incredible machines, best computers on wheels out there, for a lot of people they feel the same way."
The company says it chose to set up shop in Windsor to enhance their supply chain profile and increase the company's access to international markets.