Lion Electric plans construction of $185M battery plant north of Montreal

MONTREAL—The federal and Quebec governments are announcing $100 million for an electric vehicle battery plant for the Montreal-area company Lion Electric.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Quebec Premier Francois Legault made the announcement today at Montreal’s downtown convention centre.

Trudeau says it’s a priority for his government to support the manufacturing sector and projects that will accelerate the electrification of the country’s transport systems.

Quebec and Ottawa will each provide $50 million while Lion Electric will put in $85 million in the project for the battery pack assembly plant in St-Jerome, Que., north of Montreal.

The project is expected to create 135 jobs once construction of the plant is completed in 2023.

Lion electric says the new factory will allow it control costs related to battery production and to have more control over the design of the batteries it uses in its electric school buses and trucks.