On the R&D front, Stellantis said it will modernize its Automotive Research and Development Centre in Windsor by expanding and building two “Centres of Competency.”
“The electric vehicle and battery pack testing centres of competency will establish Ontario as a major R&D hub for the company across all stages of production – from design to development,” Stellantis said.
In addition to R&D, the centers will provide “major opportunities for local talent, universities, colleges, and start-ups to participate in the development of Ontario’s EV ecosystem.”
The automaker said the hubs will be central to Stellantis’ R&D operations in North America and “serve the company’s worldwide needs for technology, process and product development.”
“These investments reaffirm our long-term commitment to Canada and represent an important step as we move toward zero-emission vehicles that deliver on our customers’ desire for innovative, clean, safe and affordable mobility,” Mark Stewart, COO of Stellantis North America, said in a statement.
The announcement comes a little more than one month after the automaker and LG Energy Solution jointly committed $4 billion to build an EV battery plant in Windsor.