The company manufactures synthetic materials used in the design of batteries for electric vehicles.
“We are excited to announce this next chapter for Microvast, as we intend to build the world’s first mass production facility for our cutting-edge polyaramid separator technology,” said Yang Wu, Microvast’s founder, chairman, president and chief executive officer, in a press release.
Hopkinsville Mayor James Knight said the investment will have a positive economic impact on the city and surrounding region.
“Their Commerce Park II facility will serve as a flagship facility providing critical battery separators for the quickly growing EV battery market. We are thrilled that they’ve chosen to invest in our community thereby creating hundreds of outstanding jobs,” Knight said in the release.
It’s the latest in a series of EV-related companies that have opted to do business in Kentucky. Just last year, Ford Motor Co. and SK announced a manufacturing investment that will bring thousands of jobs to Hardin County.
In total, the state has seen over $10 billion in EV-related investments. That’s more than 9,700 full-time jobs announced since June 2020.
The planet’s leading body on climate science says humanity must cut carbon emissions by 60% by 2035 in order to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (about 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit).
In the U.S., around 27% of all emissions come from the transportation sector, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
