Toyota has revealed plans for an expansive battery plant in North Carolina, named “the Greensboro-Randolph Megasite” to make cells for American-built hybrid and electric vehicles starting in 2025.
The US$1.29 billion ($1.63 billion) plant will be situated in Randolph County, North Carolina, and will reportedly provide 1,750 jobs to local workers. The production goals for this plant are lofty, with Toyota revealing that the megasite will “produce enough cells for up to 1.2 million electrified vehicles per year.”
Speaking to their plans, Toyota has made it clear that they hope to be a industry leader in the localization of battery production. “By developing and localizing battery production, the plant will pave the way for battery electric vehicles built here in the United States of America,” shared Toyota Motor North America executive Christopher Reynolds.
Toyota has since confirmed that the initial battery output of the plant is bound for “U.S.-built hybrid vehicles”, with the potential to shift towards EVs later in the decade. The Greensboro-Randolph Megasite will represent a small, but important portion of the US$13.5 billion that Toyota has pledged to spend in an effort to solidify and accelerate the global transition to electrified vehicles.
Notably, the new facility is also completely controlled by Toyota, unlike other plants and ventures that are often brought to life through collaboration with battery companies. “This is only the first chapter of our story in North Carolina – and it’s a very long book,” Reynolds said.
