When President Barack Obama came to Wakarusa in August, he did so to announce $2.4 billion in economic stimulus funding for advanced battery and electric vehicle manufacturers.
The round of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act grants included $39.2 million for Navistar Inc. and $376.9 million for six other Indiana projects.
Navistar was the first stimulus-supported company to produce an electric vehicle. What have the other recipients done with the funding so far?
* EnerDel Inc., Indianapolis, $118.5 million for lithium-ion cell and pack production for electric and hybrid vehicles. Recently shipped first lithium-ion battery to Think Global, whose first North American plant will be in Elkhart.
Expects to spend $60 million of that grant in 2010. Announced plans in January to invest $237 million into a manufacturing plant that will produce lithium-ion batteries for 60,000 electric vehicles or 600,000 hybrids per year. That will create an estimated 500 jobs in Hancock County, and the company hopes to create 1,400 jobs at its three facilities in the next five years.
* Delphi Automotive Systems, Kokomo, $89.3 million, expansion of manufacturing capabilities to produce second-generation General Motors electric drive components for passenger and commercial vehicles.
By 2014, an estimated 190 workers will be hired to make electric vehicle parts for Allison Transmission. To date, 22 jobs have already been created.
* Remy International, several potential Indiana locations, $60.2 million, establishing a standardized platform of hybrid electric motors and controls. Has hired 30 workers to expand operations.
* Magna E-Car Systems of America Inc., Muncie, $40 million, increasing production capacity of advanced automotive electric drive system component manufacturing plants.
The company received only a portion of the grant, which it will use to buy manufacturing and assembly equipment for an upcoming electric vehicle program beginning in the second half of 2011. So far, only existing employees have been used.
Sources: Company releases and officials, White House officials