Volkswagen Group will spend $7 billion on a new battery cell manufacturing plant in St. Thomas, Ont., notching a new high-water mark for Canadian automotive investment.
The plant will supply batteries to Volkswagen’s North American EV assembly facilities, including an existing site in Chattanooga, Tenn., and the recently announced Scout Motors plant in Blythewood, S.C. Volkswagen, the world’s second-largest automaker by volume, also gains the distinction of becoming the sixth major car company to put down significant manufacturing roots in Ontario. The investment has been touted as the most significant for the country’s auto industry since Toyota and Honda built plants in the province in the 1980s.