Honda announced today, exactly 45 years after opening its first production facility in Ohio, that it will make several investments into its American plants to prepare for the construction of electric vehicles.
The biggest portion of that investment will go into a joint venture battery plant that it is establishing with LG Energy Solutions. The plant will cost a total of $3.5 billion and will be located in Fayette County, Ohio, about 40 miles southwest of Columbus.
Expected to be completed by the end of 2024, the plant will have a maximum annual production capacity of 40 GWh and will be run by 2,200 employees. The pouch-type lithium-ion batteries will go into vehicles based on the Honda e:Architecture that will be sold in North America starting as of 2026.
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In addition, Honda will invest $700 million into its three existing Ohio plants in order to retool them, and prepare for EV production. The money will transform Honda’s Marysville Auto Plant, East Liberty Auto Plant, and Anna Engine Plant for the electrified future.
As a result of the investment, the Anna Engine Plant will produce battery cases that will be combined with battery modules produced at the JV battery plant in new vehicles produced at the automaker’s two auto plants.
“This is a very challenging time for our entire industry, but also a very exciting time as Honda invests in full electric vehicle production in the Buckeye State,” said Bob Nelson, executive vice president of American Honda Motor Co., Inc. “Honda has built hybrid-electric vehicles in Ohio for a number of years, and the experience and expertise of our associates in manufacturing, product development, and purchasing will serve as an important foundation as we transition to the electrified future.”
Honda intends to sell only electric and fuel cell electric vehicles in North America by 2040 as part of its wider goal to become fully carbon-neutral by 2040.
