GM – CAMI assembly to begin battery-module assembly in 2024.
GM announced that CAMI Assembly will begin building battery modules in the second quarter of 2024, supporting the company’s increasing EV production volume. The new 400,000 square-foot facility will assemble modules for BrightDrop Zevo production at CAMI as well as additional Ultium EVs built at other GM plants. The project will support nearly 300 CAMI Assembly jobs.
Marissa West, president and managing director, GM Canada, said:
Our CAMI plant is playing a critical role in accelerating GM’s all-electric future.
“In addition to being Canada’s first large-scale EV manufacturing plant, soon the team will add EV battery module assembly to the site, demonstrating innovation, flexibility, and opportunity during this historic time of transformation in the industry.”
🔥 What about we co-host a webinar? Let's educate, captivate, and convert the battery economy!
Batteries News is the global go-to online magazine for the battery industry, we can help you host impactful webinars that become a global reference on your topic and are an evergreen source of leads. Click here to request more details
To support GM’s EV transformation, the company is installing more battery module capacity to its other North American EV plants.
At CAMI, individual battery cells will be assembled into full vehicle packs in four steps:
- Step 1: Battery cells are arranged into small stacks of cells, where sealer and retaining clips are applied.
- Step 2: These mini stacks are assembled into full modules, where cooling plates, insulation, and electrical components are installed.
- Step 3: Modules are then assembled into vehicle packs, where cooling lines and additional electrical components are installed.
- Step 4: Vehicle battery packs are then subjected to final testing before they are sealed and transferred to the vehicle assembly line.
Please click HERE for more information on GM’s modular Ultium EV architecture, including animations of the cells, modules and packs. More details about the project at CAMI will be released closer to launch.
GM CANADA INVESTMENT FAST FACTS
Since 2020, GM has made significant investments in Canadian manufacturing, research and development, and EV supply chain including:
- August 2020: St. Catharines Propulsion Plant opens Canada’s first cogeneration plant using renewable landfill gas to generate electricity and heat for the facility, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 70 per cent.
- November 2020: GM announced plans to invest in Oshawa Assembly for full-size truck production, St. Catharines Propulsion Plant to support production of Corvette transmissions, and Woodstock Parts Distribution Centre to support Customer Care and Aftersales.
- January 2021: GM announced plans to invest in CAMI to support BrightDrop EV production.
- February 2021: GM announced the opening of its new Canadian Technical Centre McLaughlin Advanced Technology Track (CTC MATT) in Oshawa to support engineering development and testing of advanced software and technologies. Including the MATT, GM’s CTC today employs more than 1,300 engineers and software developers across four locations in Ontario.
- March 2022: GM and POSCO Chemical announced a C$500 million facility in Bécancour, Québec to produce cathode active material for GM’s Ultium batteries.
- April 2022: GM, with representatives from the Governments of Canada and Ontario, confirmed that the restart of Oshawa operations would create 2,600 new jobs and that CAMI Assembly would begin BrightDrop Zevo production by the end of year.
- November 2022: GM announced a long-term supply agreement with Vale Canada, for battery grade nickel sulfate from Vale’s proposed plant also at Bécancour, Québec. The amount of contained nickel will be sufficient to supply approximately 350,000 EVs annually.
- December 2022: GM, with representatives from the Governments of Canada and Ontario, celebrated the launch of BrightDrop Zevo 600 production at CAMI Assembly, making the Ingersoll, Ontario facility Canada’s first full-scale EV plant.
- February 2023: GM announced plans to invest in St. Catharines Propulsion Plant, subject to completing support agreements with federal and Ontario government partners, plant to manufacture new Ultium electric drive units. This would support around 500 jobs at the St. Catharines facility and enable the production of more than 400,000 EV drive units a year.
- June 2023: GM announced plans to invest $280 million in Oshawa Assembly to produce the next-generation internal combustion engine (ICE) full-size trucks.
About General Motors Canada
General Motors of Canada is headquartered in Oshawa, Ontario and is part of a global company that is committed to delivering safer, better and more sustainable ways for people to get around. In Canada, General Motors markets Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac vehicles through our strong Canadian network of dealers, as well as OnStar services. More information can be found at www.gm.ca or by following @GMCanada on Twitter, Threads, and Instagram.
READ the latest Batteries News shaping the battery market
CAMI Assembly to Begin Battery-Module Assembly in 2024, Ingersoll, Ont., July 2023
