Toyota is set to start producing electric vehicle (EV) batteries at its new factory in North Carolina, with plans to eventually manufacture battery packs for the company’s hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and EVs. The automaker has increased its investment in the plant to $13.9 billion and has made significant progress on construction since breaking ground in late 2022.
In an exclusive tour of the facility with Automotive News, Sean Suggs, President of Toyota Battery Manufacturing at the North Carolina complex, announced that production of EV batteries is scheduled to begin in the first quarter of next year. The initial batteries will be for a three-row EV to be produced at Toyota’s plant in Georgetown, Kentucky.
Suggs stated, “Things are progressing really, really nicely. We’re in the heat of trial activity as we speak, doing trial activity in our first building. We’ve got about 300 team members that are on-site each day; the rest of them [around 500] are in our headquarters location in Greensboro.”
The plant is expected to employ 5,100 people upon completion in 2028, with roughly 1,000 people already awaiting start dates. It will have the capacity to produce 30 GWh of EV batteries per year across seven buildings, each featuring two production lines.
The facility will include 10 production lines for future battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid battery packs, along with four lines dedicated to building battery packs for hybrid vehicles. Components will be manufactured at an on-site supplier building called Fuji Springs. Additionally, the site will feature a full-time fire department, three drive-through bays, and other support structures.
Toyota has faced criticism for its slow commitment to full electrification, with some in the EV community suggesting the company is not moving quickly enough. However, Toyota has defended its approach, with executives emphasizing their excitement to enter the BEV market while maintaining a multi-pathway strategy toward carbon neutrality.
Sean Hanley, Toyota Australia’s VP of Sales and Marketing, stated earlier this year, “Toyota’s not anti-EV. We’re actually not. And we want to play in that market. We want to be part of it. We’re excited by it. We just don’t see it as the golden bullet or the single golden bullet towards carbon neutrality. The multi-pathway is still our strategy, but we’re excited to be coming into the BEV market. We know it plays a role.”
