Toyota kicks off battery production in North Carolina
It is Toyota’s first dedicated battery plant outside Japan and its eleventh production facility in the United States. At full capacity, the 1,850-acre site can produce 30 GWh annually and will operate 14 production lines supplying lithium-ion batteries for hybrid, plug-in hybrid and battery-electric vehicles.
The batteries will initially support Toyota’s existing electrified models, including the Camry HEV, Corolla Cross HEV and RAV4 HEV. The plant will also assemble battery packs for a forthcoming three-row BEV that Toyota plans to build in the US.
According to the manufacturer, shipments of HEV modules to Toyota Kentucky and Mazda Toyota Manufacturing in Alabama have already begun. Honda is another potential customer.
Toyota first revealed plans for the Liberty site in 2021. At the time, the carmaker said it would invest around 2.9 billion euros in the plant, which it later increased to more than 13 billion euros. The company still expects the factory to create up to 5,100 jobs and serve as a long-term centre for electrified powertrain development.
“Today’s launch of Toyota’s first US battery plant and additional US investment up to $10 billion marks a pivotal moment in our company’s history,” said Ted Ogawa, president and chief executive officer of Toyota Motor North America. Don Stewart, president of Toyota North Carolina, added: “We’re excited to see this innovative facility come to life and to provide cutting-edge careers for more than 5,000 North Carolinians.”
Nevertheless, in other parts of the world, Toyota is putting the brakes on battery production. Just a few days ago, Nikkei reported that the manufacturer was postponing its plan to build a battery factory in Japan’s Fukuoka Prefecture and intends to reassess the project next year in light of weakening demand for electric vehicles.
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