Honda is getting serious about their transition to electric vehicles. Following the decision last October to invest $700 million in retooling existing ICE manufacturing plants to produce EVs, the Japanese automaker has just announced exactly which of their factories will be making the shift.
They’re calling this network of new factories the EV Hub, and its epicenter will be in Ohio, where a large amount of their U.S. manufacturing already takes place. Honda‘s goal with this plan is to “develop the company’s knowledge and expertise in EV production that will be shared across Honda’s entire North American auto production network in the coming years.”
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Starting off, the Marysville Auto Plant (MAP) in Ohio will combine two assembly lines and retool it for production of EVs and their components. After being assembled for more than 40 years in Marysville, Ohio ,the Accord‘s production will be moved to the Indiana Auto Plant (IAP), while MAP will begin producing EVs as early as January 2024. Crucially, this consolidation of two lines into one will not see the loss of any workers at the plant, and all of them will be re-trained leading up to the EV shift. Honda’s East Liberty Auto Plant (ELP) in Ohio will also be re-outfitted for EV production.
The Anna Engine Plant (AEP) in Ohio will move its production to the Alabama Auto Plant (AAP). More specifically, production of V6 engines for Honda’s SUVs and light trucks will be moved from AEP to AAP, while AEP prepares to make battery cases for EVs. These battery cases will eventually be joined with the batteries produced at Honda and LG’s joint battery manufacturing facility in Ohio, and subsequently installed in the EVs produced at MAP and ELP.
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Finally, the Transmission Plant (TMP-G) in Georgia will join up with one of Honda’s suppliers, setting aside one of its production lines exclusively for e-axle manufacturing. This supplier will have full rein over this space, which is currently being occupied by a non-operational production line.
All of this will eventually lead to the introduction of the Prologue, Honda’s first dedicated, mass-market EV to be sold in North America. Based on the Chevy Blazer EV, it will be joined by Acura’s version, the ZDX, as well as up to 30 others globally before the end of 2030.
