Toyota opens the doors to its first EV battery plant in the US, but that’s not all

Production is now underway at Toyota’s new $13.9 billion battery plant in North Carolina, the company’s first outside Japan.

Toyota opens its first EV battery plant in the US

After the first batteries rolled off the production line at its new facility in Liberty, North Carolina, on Wednesday, Toyota said today marks a “pivotal moment” in the company’s history. The facility is Toyota’s 11th plant in the US and its first battery plant outside of Japan.

Toyota first announced plans to build EV batteries in the US almost four years ago. The nearly $14 billion facility will create up to 5,100 jobs in the area.

In addition, the Japanese auto giant announced plans to invest an additional $10 billion in its US operations over the next five years. Since it first arrived in the US nearly 70 years ago, Toyota has invested close to $60 billion.

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“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,” Toyota Motor North America’s CEO, Ted Ogawa, said at the event.

The mega site spans 1,850 acres, or about the size of 121 football fields, and can produce up to 30 GWh annually. Toyota will use the hub to develop and build lithium-ion batteries for its growing lineup of “electrified” vehicles, including battery electric (EV), plug-in hybrid (PHEV), and hybrid (HEV) models.

Batteries from the plant will power the new Camry HEV, Corolla Cross HEV, RAV4 HEV, and Toyota’s yet-to-be-announced three-row electric SUV.

The North Carolina battery plant houses 14 production lines, but Toyota said it plans to add more to the facility by 2030.

Toyota is already shipping HEV modules to its plant in Kentucky and Mazda Toyota Manufacturing in Alabama. It currently assembles 11 HEVs and PHEVs in the US.

Although Toyota only offers two battery electric vehicles (BEVs) in the US, the bZ SUV and Lexus RZ, it will add several more over the next few months, including the CH-R and bZ Woodland.

While the company is kicking off production in the US, Toyota is delaying plans to build a new battery plant in Japan set to produce its next generation of EV batteries.