A new electric vehicle battery research facility is being built in Windsor with the support of multiple levels of government.
Flex'N'Gate is investing $18.5 million to create a battery research facility, the Flex-Ion Battery Innovation Centre. The facility will examine ways to improve battery longevity and safety as well as the best practices to produce the batteries.
"Our intent here at Flex Ion is really to develop the next generation of chemistries for batteries of course, really to improve energy density in the batteries. That's really the goal that the automotive industry is looking for," said Flex'n'Gate Vice President of Engineering Guido Benvenuto.
Benvenuto said the company decided to locate the research facility in Windsor to have access to the best minds in the country while staying close to their customers.
"We believe that there's many opportunities with people to get the best scientists to come to work for us being Windsor, and still have the ability to have the likes of Ford or Toyota or General Motors, who are in Detroit, to come over and work with us," said Benvenuto.
The project was supported with a $1.5 million grant from the Southwestern Ontario Development Fund.
"It's a great opportunity for us to continue our push in the new cars of the future that are going to be built here in Ontario," said Minister of Economic Development Vic Fedeli.
The City of Windsor also supported the project with around $500,000 of Community Improvement Plan (CIP) grants.
"It's important for the City of Windsor to make sure that are moving at pace with the supply chain, with the OEMs, to make sure we are doing all that we can to attract them to this area," said Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens.
Benvenuto said the ultimate goal is to have a battery production facility located close by.
"If we build a gigafactory, the subject matter experts come from this centre so it would be ideal if it were to be in the Windsor area so nothing we can confirm at the moment but that would be an ultimate goal," said Benvenuto.
The research facility will be up and running by July of this year and will employ around 18 people.