Toyota has launched production at its new $13.9 billion battery manufacturing plant in North Carolina while pledging an extra $10 billion investment in its U.S. operations over the next five years. The plant and Toyota’s additional investments will support its popular hybrid vehicle business.
SupplyChain247 reports that Toyota has reached a significant milestone with the official launch of production at its first battery plant outside Japan. The $13.9 billion facility, located on a sprawling 1,850-acre site in Liberty, North Carolina, is expected to generate up to 5,100 new jobs for Americans, solidifying Toyota’s commitment to its team members, customers, dealers, communities, and suppliers in the United States.
The North Carolina plant marks a major moment in Toyota’s history, as emphasized by Ted Ogawa, CEO of Toyota Motor North America. “Today’s launch of Toyota’s first U.S. battery plant and additional U.S. investment up to $10 billion marks a pivotal moment in our company’s history,” Ogawa stated. “Toyota is a pioneer in electrified vehicles, and the company’s significant manufacturing investment in the U.S. and North Carolina further solidifies our commitment to team members, customers, dealers, communities, and suppliers.”
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy commended Toyota’s announcement, viewing it as another “show of confidence in this administration’s efforts to reshore manufacturing, generate new, great paying jobs, and inject billions of dollars into the economy.” Duffy emphasized that under President Donald Trump’s leadership, America is open for business, welcoming investments from global companies like Toyota.
Once operating at full capacity, the North Carolina facility will produce 30 gigawatt-hours of lithium-ion batteries annually, powering Toyota’s diverse lineup of hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and fully electric vehicles. The plant features 14 production lines, which will create batteries for the Camry hybrid, Corolla Cross hybrid, and the RAV4 hybrid.
In conjunction with the plant’s launch, Toyota announced an extra $10 billion investment in its U.S. operations over the next five years, aimed at supporting future mobility efforts. This substantial investment will bring the company’s total U.S. investment to nearly $60 billion since beginning operations in the country nearly 70 years ago, underscoring Toyota’s long-term commitment to the American market and its workforce.
Toyota favors traditional gas cars as well as hyrids over EVs. Breitbart News previously reported that Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda stated that an electric vehicle will generate as much pollution as three hybrid vehicles over the course of its lifecycle:
In a recent interview, Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda emphasized that while carbon neutrality remains the company’s top priority, he believes that hybrid vehicles may be more effective at reducing carbon emissions compared to true EVs. Toyoda highlighted that Toyota has sold approximately 27 million hybrid vehicles, which he claims have had a similar carbon reduction impact as nine million EVs. Toyoda argues that EVs are still significantly “dirtier” than gasoline-electric hybrids when factoring in the full lifecycle emissions.
From Toyoda’s perspective, when battery production and emissions from power generation are taken into account, a single EV is responsible for as much pollution as three hybrids.
These remarks underscore Toyota’s “multi-pathway” strategy, which advocates for a diverse mix of powertrains, including hybrids, plug-in hybrids, hydrogen fuel cells, and EVs, tailored to the specific infrastructure and energy conditions of each region. Toyoda also warned of potential economic risks, suggesting that a sudden shift to EV-only production could endanger jobs, particularly in countries like Japan where engine manufacturing still plays a dominant role in the automotive industry.
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Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship.
