Goodyear invests in electric vehicle tyre production in Canada
The expansion of Goodyear Canada’s existing plant in Napanee, Ontario, should be completed by mid-2027. The expansion will create 200 jobs, and Goodyear will employ over 1,000 people at the tyre plant. In addition to the investment of 575 million Canadian dollars by Goodyear itself, there is also a total of over 65 million Canadian dollars in public funding.
“Today’s announcement reinforces our long-term commitment to Canada and enhances our agility and flexibility, positioning Goodyear to meet the evolving needs of our customers now and in the future,” said Mark Stewart, Chief Executive Officer and President. “We are appreciative to the federal, provincial and local governments for their support and to our Napanee associates for their dedication to building the next generation of tyres.”
The Canadian government will invest 44.3 million CAD through its Strategic Innovation Fund (SIF) to support Goodyear and the Canadian automotive supply chain. The Ontario government, through Invest Ontario, will contribute $20 million to support innovative technologies and skills training. In addition, the City of Greater Napanee, the Township of Stone Mills and the County of Lennox and Addington will provide approximately $2 million in incentives over four years as part of an Industrial Area Improvement Plan.
The significance of the investment to Canada was highlighted by the fact that Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was on-site in Napanee when the plans were announced. “Companies from across the world are choosing Canada,” Trudeau said in his speech. “Today’s announcement that Goodyear is modernising its Napanee plant will create manufacturing jobs, grow our EV industry and use modern technology to keep our air clean. It’s another vote of confidence in Canada’s auto sector workers.”
The electric vehicle sector is growing rapidly in the region. According to the Ontario provincial government, a staggering 43 billion Canadian dollars (over 28 billion euros) were invested in the sector during the past four years. “Across Ontario, we’re seeing major investments and new jobs created as we build out our end-to-end EV supply chain, connecting critical minerals in Northern Ontario to world-class manufacturing across the province,” said Doug Ford, Premier of Ontario. “Companies are choosing Ontario because of our transportation infrastructure, our competitive business environment and our skilled workforce.”
It is not yet clear exactly which electric car tyres Goodyear will produce at its Napanee plant. In May of this year, Goodyear introduced the new ElectricDrive 2 all-season tyre range, designed specifically for electric vehicle drivers in North America. The ElectricDrive 2 series is available in 17 different sizes, making it the company’s largest electric vehicle tyre line. It is compatible with vehicles such as the Tesla Model Y, Ford Mustang Mach-E and Chevy Bolt.
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