FILE - In this file photo taken on Jan. 19, 2021, the Stellantis sign is seen outside the Chrysler Technology Center, in Auburn Hills, Mich. One of the world's biggest automakers says the federal government has not lived up to its deal to build a battery plant in Windsor, Ontario. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Carlos Osorio
The mayor of a southwestern Ontario city says he expects the federal government to live up to a deal that would se one of the world’s biggest automakers build an electric vehicle battery plant in the area.
Stellantis says the federal government has not delivered on an agreement with the automaker and South Korean battery-maker LG Energy Solution to build a battery plant in Windsor, Ont.
The two companies say they will immediately begin implementing contingency plans, but did not say what those were.
Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens says the completion of the electric vehicle battery plant is now in question and is calling on Ottawa to fulfill its commitments to make sure the deal goes ahead.
Stellantis and LG committed $5-billion last year to build an electric vehicle battery plant in Windsor with financial support from all levels of government.
A spokeswoman for federal Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne says negotiations with Stellantis are ongoing.
The amount the various levels of government have committed have not been made public.
The federal government and Ontario recently closed a deal with Volkswagen to build an EV battery plant that includes billions of dollars in government subsidies.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 13, 2023.
