Magna’s undertaking is the most recent instance of a significant provider investing to change its manufacturing footprint with a watch towards successful EV-related enterprise because the trade’s electrification push continues.
This is the third important funding Magna has made in its battery enclosure manufacturing footprint previously 12 months. In that point, the corporate additionally dedicated about $700 million to construct or increase battery enclosure vegetation in Michigan and Ontario, the latter of which provides Ford for F-150 Lightning manufacturing.
Battery enclosures are a major “target area” for Magna because it positions itself for EV manufacturing within the coming years, mentioned Eric Wilds, the provider’s chief gross sales and advertising and marketing officer. Enclosures, which home high-voltage batteries and different EV elements, are a “natural progression” for Magna, which has intensive expertise constructing frames and underbody elements for gasoline-powered automobiles, he mentioned.
“They’re very complex, especially when considering they need to be leak-proof,” he mentioned in an interview with Automotive News. “It’s not as simple as building a big box and welding it together. The complexity is something that makes it a great target area for us and makes it somewhat difficult to the point where not just anyone else can do it.”
Magna’s different BlueOval City plant will likely be 140,000 sq. toes in measurement and produce polyurethane foam and assemble full seats for just-in-time supply. That plant will make use of about 300 folks, the corporate mentioned.
For the third a part of the undertaking, the Aurora, Ontario, provider intends to construct a 400,000-square-foot (37,100-square-metre) manufacturing facility in Lawrenceburg, Tenn., about 80 miles (125 kilomretres) south of Nashville and 140 miles (225 km) east of BlueOval City. The manufacturing facility will produce automobile frames and is predicted to make use of about 250 folks.
Source: canada.autonews.com