A recent report came out claiming one of Tesla’s latest acquisitions is a battery manufacturing company based in Richmond Hill, Ontario. According to public records, Tesla bought Hibar Systems sometime between July and October 2019. Before July 2019, Tesla Canada didn’t have any subsidiary companies. But recent federal documents show Hibar as a company that it owns. Neither company has commented on the matter yet. As for a reason for the acquisition, we can assume, based on Hibar’s business, that it has something to do with the battery manufacturing process.
At this point, we can’t glean much from Hibar’s site, which now features a simple landing page and contact information. But reports and a look at its website through the Wayback Machine shows some of the competencies of the company. The site previously stated that it’s “truly unique in its capability to provide the world’s leading manufacturers with innovative advanced automation solutions that are engineered specifically to suit their production automation requirements.” The company is also said to be “well-known for its high-speed integrated battery assembly lines and filling system.” And it’s said the company holds some “intellectual property” related to battery manufacturing technology.
Hibar made headlines in April 2019 after it was awarded a $2 million grant from the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program. The program helps “small and medium-sized businesses increase their innovation capacity and take ideas to market.” And this Ontario-based company used the cash injection to develop a form of high-speed lithium-ion manufacturing process.
Source: Electric Autonomy Canada