Volkswagen subsidiary PowerCo SE is preparing the site of its future Canadian gigafactory in St. Thomas, Ontario, for the start of construction next year. St. Thomas will be the company’s first overseas factory for cell production and will supply cells for electric vehicles of the group brands in North America. With a planned annual production capacity of up to 90 gigawatt-hours in the final expansion stage, St. Thomas will also be PowerCo’s largest gigafactory worldwide.
Start of production planned for 2027
The factory will be built on an area of around 370 acres near the Great Lakes Automotive Corridor, around 30 kilometers south of London, Ontario. This location offers access to a regional research and innovation cluster, a talented workforce, a well-developed transportation infrastructure, and established supply chains. Production is scheduled to start in 2027. The company plans to invest up to 4.8 billion euros by 2030 and to create up to 3,000 jobs at the factory. PowerCo Canada Inc., based in St. Thomas, will manage the battery manufacturer’s North American activities.