Magna International plans to invest over $470 million at six locations in Ontario, including a new EV battery enclosures plant in Brampton to support Ford Motor’s F-150 Lightning electric pick-up and future electric vehicle programs. The other investments will be at plants in Guelph, Belleville, Newmarket, Windsor, and Penetanguishene.
The Ontario government provided $23.6 million worth of incentives to Magna, which estimated its investments will lead to over 1,000 new jobs in the province.
Earlier this week Magna announced it has landed a contract to supply battery enclosures to General Motors for its 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV pick-up. Magna will manufacture those parts in St. Clair, Mich., where it already produces battery enclosures for the GMC Hummer EV. Production for the Silverado EV battery enclosures will begin later this year.
“The accelerating shift toward vehicle electrification opens up exciting growth opportunities for Magna beyond powertrain,” stated John O’Hara, President of Magna’s body and chassis group. “We have been able to leverage our expertise to supply battery enclosures – a product for which we see strong potential going forward.”
Battery enclosures house high-voltage batteries, electrical components, sensors, and connectors that comprise the power plant of an electric vehicle. Magna’s battery enclosure assemblies are produced in steel, aluminum, or multi-material configurations, including lightweight composites, as indicated by the OEM.
According to Magna, these enclosures also represent structural and safety components of vehicle design.
In October 2022, Magna announced significant investment plans for the facility in St. Clair to support the fast-growing electric vehicle market. Production is expected to begin later in 2023.
Magna Electric Vehicle Structures in St. Clair, opened in 2021, is being expanded by 740,000 square feet by late this year, with 920 new jobs expected to result.
The St. Clair plant expansion project was one three announced last fall, which Magna said will total more than $500 million. It plans a new powertrain components plant in Shelby Township and a new seating plant in Detroit, and together the three plants are expected to generate over 1,500 new jobs.
