Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) awarded the first Reimagining Electric Vehicles in Illinois (REV Illinois) tax incentive package to T/CCI Manufacturing in Decatur.
Article continues below
The announcement follows Illinois' historic passage of the Climate & Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA) and the REV Illinois Act, both of which were part of a groundbreaking initiative to make Illinois the best state in the nation to drive and build an electric vehicle.
"Less than ten months ago, I signed Illinois' groundbreaking Reimagining Electric Vehicles Act into law. Today [September 06], I'm proud to announce we're welcoming yet another electric vehicle investment to Illinois - and the first of many that ambitious legislation will produce," said Governor JB Pritzker.
"And T/CCI isn't just investing in their own success - they're bringing the Decatur community along for the ride. We're bringing all of Illinois into the 21st century economy, with good jobs and business opportunities, and this investment is yet another way we're making that our reality."
In addition to REV incentives valued at $2.2 million, the State's Fiscal Year 2023 budget appropriated $21.3 million in capital grants to the City of Decatur and Richland Community College to create a first-of-its kind research and innovation facility and training program in partnership with T/CCI.
Through competitive incentives and supporting the creation of new state-of-the-art facilities for EV companies to collaborate, Illinois is taking a unique and comprehensive approach to lay the groundwork for additional EV companies to locate or expand in Illinois.
Headquartered in Decatur, T/CCI currently manufactures a variety of compressors suited for combustion vehicles at its Decatur manufacturing facility, while manufacturing compressors for electric vehicles at its facilities abroad in China and India.
T/CCI will invest more than $20 million to retool its Decatur facility to transition to electric compressor manufacturing, which will create more than 50 new jobs, while retaining 103 positions of its current workforce for a minimum total of 150 positions.
Compressors are a critical component for electric vehicles to function. Unlike vehicles with traditional combustion engines, the compressor in an EV cools the battery in addition to providing air conditioning in the cabin.
T/CCI compressors are designed for up to 45,000 hours of life, almost twice the life of other compressor manufacturers. With the largest range of capacity this allows vehicle manufacturers to optimize their systems to achieve the lowest charging times in the industry, along with perfect cabin climate and optimal battery temperature.
This ensures the safety of the driver or operator by keeping the battery cool, while also providing comfort in the cabin through air conditioning.
As part of the larger incentive package, the State's Fiscal Year 2023 budget included $15.3 million to Richland Community College and $6 million to the City of Decatur in capital grants to create an EV Innovation Cluster, including a Climatic Center for Innovation & Research Facility.
This will support the growth of the EV sector in Illinois by creating innovative training programs and state-of-the-art facilities for research and development, which includes a full-scale climactic center for testing and simulations.
The facility will be located on the T/CCI Decatur campus.
Richland Community College and T/CCI are working in partnership with the University of Illinois (UIUC) Grainger College of Engineering and Northern Illinois University on a training academy.
The training academy will offer a new workforce training and development program with a focus on EV advanced engineering, software technology, a STEM pathways program, and accredited apprenticeship programs that offer world class training in electrification.
The Climatic Center for Innovation & Research facility will support technology advancements and climatic testing for high voltage systems, battery cooling and both A/C and heat pump capabilities. This Center will include a DC fast charger for electric vehicles for testing capability under both extreme cold and hot conditions.
The Center will advance Illinois' EV leadership position to deliver high-profile research and critical advancements in charging, range, emissions, and data analytics.
The Center will be open businesses and researchers looking to accelerate opportunities for faster-to-market technology development, enhanced safety, emissions control criteria development and other advancements that will accelerate adoption of electrified technology.
This collaboration creates a new way of doing business by replacing the traditional siloed approach and combining resources to achieve higher levels of innovation, collaboration, and productivity.
The capital investments in this public-private partnership model will build on the expertise, experience, and influence of all participating entities to move Illinois forward as a leader in EV and component manufacturing. ■