Toyota has opened the Toyota Battery Center of North America (TBC) in Saline, Michigan, establishing a new facility dedicated to battery development, testing and evaluation for the automaker’s electrified vehicle portfolio.
The approximately 2,800-square-metre center will provide Toyota’s Michigan-based battery teams with expanded capabilities covering the battery development cycle, from raw material procurement and technology evaluation to customer applications and recycling.
Toyota describes the facility as a central hub supporting its North American production network and its broader Multi-Path Strategy for electrification.
New Toyota Center Supports Multiple Battery Technologies
The TBC will support development and testing across several vehicle powertrain technologies, including battery-electric vehicles, hybrid electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids and hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles.
Toyota’s approach reflects its strategy of developing multiple electrification technologies in parallel rather than focusing on a single powertrain solution. The company said the new facility will allow its engineers to work on different battery technologies according to the requirements of each application.
The center will also enable Toyota to conduct battery evaluation closer to its North American vehicle operations and customers.
“For Toyota customers, this facility means Toyota engineers can detect and resolve field concerns faster and closer to the source,” said Jordan Choby, Group Vice President of Powertrain. “It also means we can develop longer-lasting batteries designed to perform in the conditions American drivers face every day.”
Facility Connects With Toyota’s North American Network
The Michigan center complements Toyota’s growing battery and vehicle manufacturing presence in North America.
Toyota’s network includes its battery manufacturing facility near Liberty, North Carolina, which opened in 2025, as well as multiple vehicle production plants across the region. The North Carolina battery facility is Toyota’s first battery plant outside Japan and represents an investment of approximately €14 billion, with the company expecting around 5,100 jobs to be created at the site.
The new development center in Saline adds battery research and evaluation capabilities to this manufacturing network.
Toyota said the Michigan facility will serve as a central location for developing and testing technologies intended for use across its North American vehicle operations.
Toyota Advances Its Multi-Path Strategy
Toyota continues to pursue its Multi-Path Strategy, which combines battery-electric vehicles with hybrid, plug-in hybrid and hydrogen fuel-cell technologies.
The approach also requires different types of battery development. While battery-electric vehicles rely heavily on high-capacity traction batteries, hybrids and hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles also use batteries as part of their propulsion systems.
The new center will therefore support battery development across the different electrified powertrains as Toyota works to expand its range of sustainable mobility technologies.
Keita Moritsu, Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at Toyota Motor North America R&D, said the facility represents an expansion of the company’s battery development activities into North America.
“Toyota has long been at the forefront of battery development,” said Moritsu. “This center is where that leadership expands to North America — and where we’re building its next chapter.”
Toyota Works With University of Michigan
Toyota also plans to collaborate with third parties through the new facility. The company is partnering with the University of Michigan’s Electric Vehicle Center, where Toyota is a founding member.
The partnership is intended to support battery research while helping train the next generation of battery engineers and technicians in Michigan.
The investment also adds to the state’s growing automotive technology and advanced manufacturing activities.
“Today is a big win for Michigan’s leadership in advanced automotive manufacturing,” said Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer. “We are proud to welcome this investment by Toyota that positions Michigan as the best place to build the future.”
Whitmer said the facility would develop, test and improve batteries for future vehicles while contributing to Michigan’s wider automotive, semiconductor and battery manufacturing ecosystem.
Battery Development Moves Closer to North American Customers
By establishing a dedicated battery development center in Michigan, Toyota aims to shorten the distance between battery engineering, vehicle production and customer requirements in North America.
The facility will allow Toyota teams to evaluate battery technologies under conditions relevant to American drivers while supporting development across the company’s multiple electrification pathways.
The Saline center therefore adds a new layer of battery engineering capability to Toyota’s North American manufacturing footprint, alongside its expanding battery production and vehicle assembly operations.
