Honda announces next steps in US EV production

Honda has announced the next steps in the establishment of its EV Hub in Ohio.

In October 2022, Honda announced that it would invest $700 million to retool several of its existing auto and powertrain plants to establish the new hub, to prepare for the production of battery electric vehicles in 2026.

The Marysville Auto Plant, where Honda began auto production in America in 1982, will be its first auto plant in the US to transition to making EVs.

Honda says the EV Hub will play a key role in developing its knowledge and expertise in EV production that will be shared across its North American auto production network in the coming years.

The Marysville Auto Plant will begin preparing for EV production as early as January 2024, by consolidating its two production lines currently making vehicles powered by internal combustion engines and hybrid-electric vehicle systems.

Honda says consolidating production to one line will enable the plant to begin building the infrastructure necessary for EV production. Starting later this year, Marysville Auto Plant associates will also begin training programmes designed to prepare them for the skills required for EV production.

Based on the planned consolidation of production lines at the Marysville Auto Plant, production of the Honda Accord will transfer to the Indiana Auto Plant in 2025.

The Anna Engine Plant will transfer component production for two different generations of engines to the engine plant at the Alabama Auto Plant. Machining of the engine head for the existing V6 engine that powers many Honda light trucks will be added to existing Alabama Auto Plant operations, beginning this month.

Engine block casting for the new V6 engine introduced in the new 2023 Honda Pilot will begin at Alabama Auto Plant in August. These two moves will allow the plant to reallocate space for future IPU Case production.

These cases will be combined with the battery modules produced at the new joint venture battery facility Honda is establishing in Ohio with LG Energy Solution (LGES). These batteries will power the EVs that will be produced at Marysville Auto Plant and East Liberty Auto Plant.

The Transmission Plant – Georgia will partner with a Honda supplier to install a new line to build e-axles, a component of EVs that combines the electric motor, gearing components and power electronics.

As part of the new EV Hub, Honda and LGES recently held the official groundbreaking ceremony for the new joint venture EV battery plant that will be located in Fayette County, near Jeffersonville, Ohio.

The two companies have committed to invest $3.5 billion in the new JV facility of over 2m square feet, which is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2024, and aims for approximately 40GWh of annual production capacity.

The overall investment of the two companies in the JV facility is projected to reach $4.4 billion.