Work could begin sometime next year on a massive cobalt sulfate production facility in southwestern Arizona.
The EVelution Energy company, which is based in Yuma, says it wants to build a manufacturing facility large enough to support the domestic production of up to 470,000 electric vehicles on an annual basis.
The plant is expected to cost around $200 million to build and will go up on open desert land between the small towns of Tacna and Dateland. Both of those towns have populations of less than 500 people.
By design, the new manufacturing facility will be built to be carbon neutral, supplying all its own power. The plant will also provide needed renewable electricity to the vast agricultural community surrounding it.
The new facility, said Gil Michel-Garcia, executive vice-president of EVelution, “is expected to have a substantial economic impact on the local economy, generating more than 360 well-paid jobs over the life of the project.”
Plans for the new plant come as industry analysts are projecting a compound annual growth rate for the nation’s electric vehicle market of up to 37% in the next 5 years.
Construction work on the facility is expected to see completion in 2026.
By Garry Boulard
