DECATUR, Ill. (WTVO) — Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker attended a groundbreaking Wednesday for a new electric vehicle testing center, which will be available to automakers to stress test their upcoming EVs in extreme climate settings.

TCCI, a company that manufactures electric vehicle components, will begin construction on its EV Innovation Hub, a cutting-edge research and development facility that can climate test electric vehicles in temperatures as low as -30 degrees to 130 degrees Fahrenheit.

The 65-foot x 25-foot Climate Center for Innovation and Research can test capabilities for solar, humidity, and ambient temperature, and will have one of the only publicly available 3-axle, EPA-certified, electric chassis dynamometers.

“Illinois’ clean energy and electric vehicle industries are on the rise, and these investments are lifting up our talented workforce and demonstrating to the world that Illinois is once again open for business, and we’re fast becoming the most promising state in the country to invest in,” said Pritzker.

Illinois has been working to plant a foothold in the growing electric vehicle market with the passage of the Reimagining Energy and Vehicles in Illinois incentive package.

A component of the innovation hub will be an EV + Energy Workforce Training Academy, which will develop a skilled workforce for the EV industry. TCCI has partnered with Richland Community College, the University of Illinois Grainger College of Engineering, the University of Illinois College of ACES, and Northern Illinois University to create a pathway for students to enter the field.

“Through a highly collaborative public-private partnership that allows students to transfer directly into the College of Engineering and Engineering Technology, we will build more computer science and engineering career paths for students and provide skilled workers for Illinois companies operating in areas of high job demand,” said Northern Illinois University President Lisa Freeman.

Rivian, which produces the first-to-market electric pickup truck, the R1T, along with an SUV model, the R1S, is headquartered in Normal. The company also has an agreement to build delivery vehicles for Amazon.

Lion Electric builds electric schoolbuses in a factory in Joliet.

Illinois has a goal of utilizing a 100% carbon-free electric grid by 2045, aligning with the Biden administration’s clean energy agenda to reach net zero carbon emissions before 2050. The state also plans to put 1 million EVs on the road by 2030.