Toyota announced today that it has chosen Greensboro, North Carolina as the site for a new automotive battery manufacturing plant.
The plant will be called Toyota Battery Manufacturing, North Carolina (TBMNC) and when it comes online in 2025, it will have four production lines. Each will be capable of delivering enough lithium-ion batteries to help power 200,000 electrified vehicles.
It intends to expand that to six lines, which, together, will be enough to supply 1.2 million vehicles per year, though no timeline has been made explicit for the expansion. It expects that the plant will require 1,750 workers to operate.
Read Also: Toyota Is Investing $3.4 Billion In U.S. Battery Production
Toyota is investing $1.29 billion in the plant, which is part of a wider $3.4 billion investment in automotive battery advancement that Toyota previously announced it will make in the U.S. through 2030. The money is intended to help make hybrid and electric vehicles more affordable in the U.S. market.
Although Toyota does plan on producing fully electric vehicles, such as the bZ4X, it is still committed to hybrid powertrains. In its release, it says that the plant will “initially focus on hybrid electric vehicles”, both regular hybrids and plug-in hybrids, and eventually fully electric cars.
“The future of mobility is electrification and the Greensboro-Randolph Megasite is the ideal location to make that future a reality,” said Ted Ogawa, CEO of Toyota Motor North America. “North Carolina offers the right conditions for this investment, including the infrastructure, high-quality education system, access to a diverse and skilled workforce, and a welcoming environment for doing business. Today marks the beginning of a mutually beneficial partnership with the Tar Heel state as we embark on our journey to achieve carbon neutrality and provide mobility for all.”
Toyota adds that it will use 100 percent renewable energy to power the new facility.
