Dive Brief:
- Honda revealed new details on how it plans to retool three Honda facilities in Ohio to create an electric vehicle production hub, in a press release last week.
- The projects underway include assembly line upgrades and the installation of high-pressure die cast machinery. The automaker says that each of its North America production facilities will have a “critical role” in its electrified future.
- The various plant upgrades in Ohio are part of Honda’s investment commitment of at least $700 million to establish a North America EV production hub. Honda says that construction work and other preparations at the three facilities are progressing on schedule.
Dive Insight:
While General Motors and Ford have significantly scaled back their EV plans to focus on building more profitable hybrid vehicles, Honda is maintaining its previously announced investments in Ohio as it prepares to launch two new all-electric SUVs in the North American market, one each under the Honda and Acura brands.
Honda says the expertise and experience gained from its EV Hub in Ohio will eventually be shared across its entire production network. Honda plans to hire 300 workers at its Ohio EV Hub, while another 300 workers at the automaker’s Marysville Auto Plant will be retrained for Intelligent Power Unit assembly.
Bob Nelson, executive VP of American Honda Motor Co., said creating an EV hub is not simply an investment in retooling an equipment, but also an investment in workers who could lead the automaker to an electrified future.
"Our EV Hub in Ohio is playing an essential and strategic role for the evolution of EV production at Honda, in North America and globally,” Nelson said in the press release.
Honda's EV production hub in Ohio: at a glance
| Facility | Project Details |
|---|---|
| Marysville Auto Plant | Honda is removing an existing production line at the Marysville plant to allow for the production of both EVs and ICE vehicles. Honda says it will have a strategic advantage by having the flexibility to produce both internal combustion engine vehicles and EVs on the same line, rather than converting the entire factory for EV production. This flexibility allows the automaker to better adjust production based on market demand. |
| East Liberty Auto Plant | Honda’s will produce EVs on a single production line at the East Liberty plant. A majority of the upgrades being performed at East Liberty are preparations to accommodate for the heavier weight of EVs. The work includes strengthening the overhead conveyors that transport vehicles through the plant and upgrading the paint department. |
| Anna Engine Plant | Honda is installing six, 6,000-ton high-pressure die cast machines at its Anna Engine Plant that will mega-cast IPU housings for its future EVs, which will then be shipped to its Marysville plant for vehicle assembly. |
| L-H Battery Co. joint venture | To support its electrification strategy, Honda is building a joint venture battery plant near Jeffersonville, Ohio with LG Energy Solution that will produce battery cells for its North American EVs. The battery manufacturing facility is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2024, with an annual capacity of approximately 40GWh. The two companies committed $3.5 billion to the joint venture, but the overall investment is projected to reach $4.4 billion. |
Honda’s first high-volume electric model for North America will be the Prologue SUV, which is expected to arrive at U.S. dealerships in the upcoming weeks, a company spokesperson confirmed to Automotive Dive. The forthcoming SUV was developed in collaboration with General Motors and is being built at GM’s assembly plant in Ramos Arizpe, Mexico. However, Honda announced in October it was scrapping its previously announced plan to co-develop additional EVs with GM.
In January at CES, Honda unveiled two electric concept vehicles, the Saloon and Space-Hub, that showcased the future vision of the company. Honda plans to launch a version of the Saloon concept in North America in 2026 under its new global “Honda 0 Series” brand.
