Toyota Announces $2.5 Billion Expansion of North Carolina Plant Adding 350 Jobs and BEV Battery Capacity

With this North Carolina plant expansion Toyota’s global investment climbs up to $5.6 billion, supporting electrification efforts.

Toyota is all-in when it comes to investing in the electrification of its vehicle lineup. In 2021 Toyota announced that it would be investing a staggering $70 billion into electrification efforts. Since that time new hybrid electric vehicles and battery electric vehicles have been announced. Some are just concepts and others are entering production. The vehicles themselves are exciting but Toyota is going to need somewhere to build them all and the batteries they will require. That is where their newest North American facility comes in. Toyota Battery Manufacturing North Carolina (TBMNC) is in Liberty, North Carolina. The initial investment in TBMNC was $1.29 billion for battery production and with it came 1,750 new jobs. Today Toyota announced the North Carolina plant would be expanding. They are investing a further $2.5 billion and adding an additional 350 jobs.

With today’s announcement, TBMNC’s total investment is $3.8 billion. Production is scheduled to begin in 2025. “This marks another significant milestone for our company,” said Norm Bafunno, senior vice president, Unit Manufacturing and Engineering at Toyota Motor North America. “This plant will serve a central role in Toyota’s leadership toward a fully electrified future and will help us meet our goal of carbon neutrality in our vehicles and global operations by 2035.”

Adding Jobs

No matter how you may feel about Toyota, and every other auto manufacturer rushing to build electric vehicles. It is always welcome news to hear that more jobs are being created in the U.S. “This is an exciting time for Toyota, the region and the many North Carolinians we will soon employ,” said Sean Suggs, TBMNC president. “This incremental investment reflects our continued commitment to ensuring jobs and future economic growth for the Triad region.”

How Many Batteries?

Before the expansion announcement today the North Carolina plant was expected to have four production lines. Each capable of delivering enough lithium-ion batteries for 200,000 vehicles. The announcement today did not specifically state how many production lines were being added. However, when TBMNC was first announced last year, it was stated that production could be expanded to at least six production lines for a combined total of up to 1.2 million vehicles per year.

Environmental Impact

Toyota has stated previously that they are committed to using 100 percent renewable energy at this new facility to produce the batteries. Overall, the company continues its efforts to reach carbon neutrality for its vehicles and operations by 2050. Toyota aims to have global sales of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) reach 3.5 million vehicles annually by 2030. By that same year they expect to offer 30 BEV models across Toyota and Lexus. This includes all vehicle segments, sedans, SUVs, commercial trucks and so on. The announcement today is just another step towards this future.

Images: Toyota

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Joe Kucinski

Joe has been obsessed with cars since he got his very first Matchbox toy in the ‘70s. In 2003, he found a new obsession in track days that led to obtaining his SCCA competition license in 2015. In 2019, he became a certified driving instructor for the National Auto Sport Association. His love for all things four wheels has never wavered, whether it's driving some of the best cars in the world on the racetrack, tackling 2,000-mile road trips in 2-seat sports cars or being winched off the side of a mountaintop in a Jeep. Writing for the suite of Internet Brands Auto Communities sites, including Rennlist.com, Ford Truck Enthusiasts, 6 Speed and more allows him to share that knowledge and passion with others.