Japanese auto giant Toyota announced Monday that the battery plant it already plans to build in the United States for $ 1.29 billion will be located near the city of Greensboro in North Carolina.
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Toyota explains in a press release that it chose the site for its access to renewable energies, which will supply the plant 100%, as well as for the support of local authorities and partners. Dubbed “Toyota Battery Manufacturing - North Carolina” (TBMNC), the plant will also be located near international airports, ports, highways and railways.
Manufacturing is expected to begin there in 2025 with four production lines each capable of delivering enough lithium-ion batteries for 200,000 vehicles per year, electric or hybrid.
The group aims to add two additional production lines later and be able to supply batteries to 1.2 million vehicles per year in total.
This operation, which should create 1,750 jobs, is part of a larger plan unveiled by Toyota in early September.
World leader
A pioneer of hybrids with its Prius model, and still the world leader in this segment with two million hybrids sold in 2020, the Japanese manufacturer has long held back on 100% electric cars.
But the group announced this year its intention to launch fifteen 100% electric models by 2025 and plans to invest the equivalent of more than 11 billion euros in the development of new generation batteries by 2030.