Electric vehicle battery materials will be produced at a C$1.2 billion (equal to $887 million) plant in Becancour, Quebec, according to a cooperation announced on Thursday by Ford Motor Company and South Korean companies. According to the industry ministry of Canada, Becancour is being positioned as a major hub in the EV supply chain, and this program is a component of that endeavor. South Korean businesses EcoProBM and SK On Co Ltd are members of the consortium. High-grade Nickel Cobalt Manganese (NCM) for rechargeable batteries to improve performance and increase EV range is to be produced in 45,000 tonnes of cathode active materials (CAM) per year at the proposed plant for Ford’s electric vehicles.
This cathode factory will supply materials for Ford’s future EVs in North America, especially some upcoming truck models, according to Lisa Drake, Ford’s vice president for EVs. Although Ford has been in business in neighboring Ontario for more than a century, this is the company’s first investment in Quebec. This project is being funded in part by a $322 million conditional loan from the federal government of Canada and a $322 million loan from Quebec. It is anticipated that the facility will start up in the first half of 2026, generating over 345 employment. This move strengthens Becancour’s position as a major center for the electric vehicle supply chain in North America.
In related events, a chemical battery materials factory in Becancour is set to be expanded by General Motors Co. and POSCO Future M of South Korea. Furthermore, a facility for battery materials is being built nearby by German company BASF SE.
Through an important green technology fund, Canada is actively luring companies from all around the EV supply chain, utilizing its vast mining sector rich in lithium, nickel, and cobalt. This is in line with international initiatives to cut carbon emissions. Moreover, the construction of significant battery factories by Volkswagen and Stellantis in Ontario underscores the region’s longstanding connections to Detroit’s automotive sector.
