Ford to transform Oakville, Ontario plant into EV manufacturing hub

Image: Ford

Ford plans to invest CAD 1.8 billion into its Oakville Assembly Complex to turn it into a "high-volume hub of electric vehicle manufacturing" in the country. The campus will be renamed Oakville Electric Vehicle Complex. The carmaker plans to retool and modernize in the second quarter of 2024 in preparation for next-generation EV production. 

This investment allows Ford to repurpose and transform its existing buildings into state-of-the-art facilities. The current 487-acre Oakville site includes three body shops, one paint building, and one assembly building. The transformed plant will feature a new 407,000 square-foot on-site battery plant that uses cells and arrays from BlueOval SK Battery Park in Kentucky. Oakville workers will take these components and assemble battery packs that will be installed in vehicles assembled on-site. This transformation will help increase Ford's global production run rate of two million EVs annually by the end of 2026.

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GM looks to train more first responders for EV emergencies in Canada, the US

Source: Chevrolet/GM

GM wants to train more first responders to handle emergencies involving electric vehicles. It plans to expand its EV First Responder Training program in Canada and the United States. The initiative's primary focus is training firefighters with the necessary knowledge about EV technologies. The automaker wants to dispel any misconceptions about handling EVs in emergencies. 

GM initially piloted the program in southeast Michigan. Participants will attend four-hour sessions, with up to two per day. It's held in various venues, like firehouses and dealerships. 

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LG enters EV charging business with AppleMango acquisition

Source: LG

LG is entering the electric vehicle charging business with its newest acquisition. The company bought South Korean EV battery charger developer AppleMango. This acquisition will allow LG to create "fully-featured" charging stations with a user-friendly interface and real-time control and management. The company said it could leverage its "sturdy, dust- and water-proof" outdoor digital display tech.

This acquisition expands on LG's existing business around electric cars. It can marry the new charger capabilities with its existing in-house EV charging management systems. LG has plans to install an EV charger production line at the LG Digital Park in South Korea before the end of the year. It wants to supply different customers with custom EV charging solutions.

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ZipCharge launches suitcase-sized powerbank for EVs

ZipCharge introduced a new charging product designed for electric vehicles that can help convince people with range anxiety about switching from gas to electric cars. The British startup debuted the ZipCharge Go at the Cop26 climate summit. It looks like it's the size of a carry-on suitcase and weighs around 50 pounds. It has wheels and a retractable handle, allowing you to put it in your trunk.

The ZipCharge Go can provide up to 20 miles of range after plugging into the car for 30 minutes. There's a higher-capacity version that gets up to 40 miles of range. It works with any plug-in hybrid or EV with a Type 2 socket. It can charge a vehicle to its total capacity between 30 minutes to an hour.

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