Toyota has announced investment of $2.1 billion in its new U.S. battery facility in North Carolina. The manufacturer also announced assembly of battery electric SUVs would begin at the company’s factory in Kentucky beginning in 2025.
There will be six battery manufacturing lines at the plant, four for hybrid electric cars and two for battery electric vehicles. The facility will serve as its intended center for developing and producing lithium-ion batteries.
According to sources Toyota is set to introduce 10 new battery-powered cars by 2026 with annual sales of 1.5 million EVs. Toyota has always been known for new technologies – be it the first hybrid car or hydrogen car. But what is interesting to know is that Toyota believes there would not be only electric vehicles but also vehicles running on alternative fuels.
Once manufacturing at the North Carolina factory begins in 2025 the batteries that power the new three-row SUVs will be made there. The newest addition to Toyota’s investment of $5.9 billion is for the battery factory. Meanwhile LG and Hyundai too have announced battery manufacturing plant in Georgia. With rising EV on the road and government’s push towards EV adoption it seems clear that the US would be witnessing number of battery manufacturing plants for EVs.
Akshat Joshi
There are two C's in my life - Cars and Coffee