Construction well underway at Stellantis’ battery technology centre in Windsor

Hundreds of massive steel structural columns are in the ground as construction progresses on the North America Battery Technology Centre at the Automotive Research and Design Centre in Windsor.

“We're really excited about this investment. This really is a paradigm shift for the industry and for us and really exciting, not just for us, but for Windsor,” said Tony Mancina, the director of Canada Tech Centres for Stellantis.

Mancina will also oversee the brand-new, 100,000 square foot battery technology centre on Rhodes Drive, which will serve as the hub for battery testing across North America.

“It has a key role in the design, testing, and the production of class-leading vehicles that we think our customers need,” said Mancina.

The facility will feature 35 climatic test cells and 11 reach-in test cells capable of testing hundreds of batteries at once, pressing car batteries to the limits at extreme temperatures.

“We have to make sure that these products are capable of meeting all of our customer’s demands, right?” said Mancina. “So we'll be able to test from 40 degrees below zero up to 80 degrees Celsius. And so it's a very intense for their durability and performance.”

The Automotive Research and Design Centre has already hired north of 700 people and plans to hire 55 more into highly skilled engineering and technician roles.

“We have to bring in the expertise to bring us up to speed as fast as possible. So a lot of this technology is coming from abroad,” said Mancina. “However, we are going to run it, we are going to operate it, we're going to perform the work.”

It’s part of the $3.6 billion investment announced by Stellantis in 2022 and one piece of the larger $45 billion the automaker is spending globally towards its Dare Forward electrification strategy.

“There is pressure, obviously, because we have some really ambitious goals, but it's something that unfortunately, there's competition and we have to perform,” said Mancina. “There's no opportunity to fail, that's for sure.”

Construction is expected to wrap by mid-2024 with the battery labs fully operational by beginning of 2025.

“2025 is not far away,” said Mancina. “And that's why we're doing this work. Without it, you know, we can't get there. So it's very, very critical.”