$35M facility is the latest electric vehicle parts plant announced for Windsor, Ont.

The province announced Monday that Korean electric vehicle parts manufacturer, Bobaek America Inc., will be building a new manufacturing facility in Windsor, Ont.

The $35-million investment, with $1.5 million coming from the province’s Regional Development Program’s Southwestern Ontario Development Fund, will create 144 new jobs in the region and is expected to be open in June 2024, the province said in a release.

The plant will specialize in battery insulation panels and cell sheets for electric vehicles and marks the company’s “first entry into the North American EV supply chain,” according to the province.

Bobaek president Dongjo Seo said the plant’s output “should be able to cover the entire North American market.”

The 71,000-square-foot facility will include “state-of-the-art equipment” including pressure moulding and sensor cutting machines, tape assembly, silicon pad cutting and packing automation lines and 3D measuring equipment.

“With support from the province’s Regional Development Program, Bobaek’s investment will serve as a critical link in building our end-to-end EV and battery supply chain, affirming Ontario’s position as a leader in building the cars of the future,” said Vic Fedeli, economic development, job creation and trade minister.

“Thank you, Bobaek for choosing Ontario as your launchpad into the North American market.”

Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkins said the city is “thrilled” to have another major electric vehicle supplier setting up shop in Windsor.

“Significant investments like this one from Bobaek America Inc. are creating quality local jobs and helping to support an EV battery manufacturing and supply chain base that builds on previous investments to secure Windsor’s status as the Automotive and Automobility Capital of Canada.”

Windsor is also home to a major electric vehicle battery plant from Stellantis’ and LG Corp’s NextStar Energy Inc. That plant, expected to open in 2025, has been a beacon of controversy after a dispute over subsidies saw construction halt for over a month in the summer and in November after it was learned that upwards of 900 foreign workers were being brought in to help build the plant.