The German automaker and Quebec government have a running dialogue on other future possibilities, Fitzgibbon told Automotive News Canada, but Volkswagen’s initial battery cell plant “is not on our radar right now.”
Canada was the sole country Volkswagen publicly disclosed in December as being on the shortlist for its planned North American cell plant, but it said “other options” were also being considered. Internal Volkswagen or PowerCo staff recently registered as lobbyists in Ontario include those with roles in location scouting, human resources, and civil and facility engineering.Volkswagen is expected to announce a decision relatively soon. Flavio Volpe, president of the Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association, told Automotive News Canada in December he expects the company to announce the location of its first North American battery cell plant in the first six months of 2023.