Clarkson company gets funds
Aug 04, 2009 - 8:02 PM
Green power. Queen's Park announced it is investing $16.7 million in a Clarkson car battery-maker Electrovaya (EFL.t). Premier Dalton McGuinty is seen here with Dr. Sankar Das Gupta, CEO of Electrovaya.
Queen's Park (Government of Ontario) is investing $16.7 million in a Clarkson car battery-maker in a move that will create 240 jobs and help achieve Premier Dalton McGuinty's goal of having one in every 20 vehicles powered by electricity within 10 years.
McGuinty, who made the announcement today at Electrovaya, which houses its Canadian headquarters on Royal Windsor Dr., said the investment will not only stimulate the economy, but it's supporting environmental sustainability as well. In total, 240 new jobs will be created at Electrovaya.
An additional $94.8-million investment by Electrovaya will help the company manufacture its proprietary Lithium Ion SuperPolymer battery for the next generation of electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles.
“We're already the best in the world at making cars,” McGuinty said. “But now we want to build the best electric car batteries in the world, too. So in addition to this investment, we're also putting the energy infrastructure in place, and we're working with a private sector to build a network of charging stations. In the not-too-distant future, we will have the capacity to recharge a car's electric battery in as little time as 10 minutes.”
The battery manufactured by the Clarkson company is among the greenest in the world because it does not use the harmful chemical NMP, known to cause birth defects, said Dr. Sankar Das Gupta, CEO of Electrovaya.
“In Electrovaya, we almost feel as if we're in the evangelical business because we're trying to spread a religion,” Gupta said. “And the religion is clean cars. There's nothing wrong with the present gasoline-driven cars, but they do emit fumes and cause health hazards.
“We were worried about the Lithium batteries being produced in the world (by companies) who were all using a chemical called NMP,” he added. “And NMP is now well-recognized to be a cause of birth defects.”
Mississauga South MPP Charles Sousa said that a Mississauga company is offering cutting-edge technology that's green is cause for celebration.
“It's a great news story all round,” he said. “The impact on our environment through (this) battery production is minimal and the outcome is the emission-free vehicles on our roads.”
rpanjwani@mississauga.net
mississauganews.com |
