Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear announced electric vehicle battery manufacturing company Envision AESC would build a $2 billion plant in Bowling Green. The 30 GWh facility will manufacturer battery cells and modules for Envision’s multiple car manufacturers and offer over 2,000 jobs.
Occupying three million square feet, Envision expects the gigafactory’s batteries to help power 300,000 vehicles annually by 2027. The plant will generate power from low carbon energy and be digitally-enabled with smart infrastructure software which optimizes the energy footprint.
Kentucky will contribute as much as $116.8 million from state incentive programs and up to $5 million in grant-in-aid for skills training.
Shoichi Matsumoto, CEO of Envision AESC Group., said the large investment emphasises the company’s dedication to the U.S. market and secures jobs for future generations.
The announcement follows a development from September 2021 that saw Ford Motor Co. reveal a $5.8 billion plan to build twin battery manufacturing plants estimated to create 5,000 full-time jobs.
Envision, a Japanese company, aims to achieve net-zero carbon emissions in global operations by 2022. The company also plans to reach carbon neutrality across the whole value supply chain by 2028.