Two manufacturing plants in Indiana will join nine other union shops in helping to nearly double the number of electric vehicles made in the U.S. every year. Cummins and Stellantis will receive part of a $1.7 billion federal grant to transform their plants.
Cummins already makes some electric motors. Amy Davis is the president of Accelera, a relatively new department at Cummins that focuses on zero-emissions vehicles. She said by the time the project is done, about half of the company’s Columbus plant will be dedicated to manufacturing parts for these types of cars and trucks.
“And we just might officially change the name from Columbus Engine Plant to the Columbus Electrification Plant," Davis said.
The plant expects to add 250 full-time jobs.
U.S. Under Secretary for Infrastructure David Crane said these transformations are an important move not only for the environment, but also national security. He said for most of his life, the U.S. has been dependent on oil from other countries.
“And what we don’t want to do is substitute for that dependence on foreign sources for manufacture that are critical to the 21st Century life that we all want to lead. Building up these supply chains in the United States is a critical part," Crane said.
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Stellantis’s Kokomo plant will receive nearly $250 million in federal funding.
The EV projects could have a big impact on the climate. Transportation is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S.
Rebecca is our energy and environment reporter. Contact her at rthiele@iu.edu or follow her on Twitter at @beckythiele.