Toyota Motor North America is planning to build a $1.3 billion battery plant near the small town of Liberty, N.C., where the Japanese automaker plans to eventually produce enough lithium ion batteries to power up to 1.2 million vehicles per year.
News of the location leaked last month.
Toyota Battery Manufacturing North Carolina is expected to begin production in 2025 with four production lines, each capable of producing batteries to power 200,000 vehicles, the company said in a statement Monday. The plant, to be co-owned and operated by Toyota and subsidiary Toyota Tsusho, is expected to later be expanded to six production lines. The automaker said the venture is expected to create 1,750 jobs. Liberty is in Randolph County, about 20 miles southeast of Greensboro, in the central part of the state.
“The future of mobility is electrification and the Greensboro-Randolph Megasite is the ideal location to make that future a reality,” Ted Ogawa, CEO of Toyota Motor North America, said in a statement.
“North Carolina offers the right conditions for this investment, including the infrastructure, high-quality education system, access to a diverse and skilled work force and a welcoming environment for doing business. Today marks the beginning of a mutually beneficial partnership with the Tar Heel State as we embark on our journey to achieve carbon neutrality and provide mobility for all.”