American Honda Motor Co. said it will build its own electric vehicle battery plant with joint venture partner LG about 40 miles southwest of Columbus, Ohio, at a cost of $3.5 billion.
Honda on Tuesday also said it will spend $700 million to retool three plants in Ohio to EVs. The company said the results will be the creation of a U.S. EV hub.
The battery plant will be constructed as part of a recently announced joint venture with battery supplier LG Energy Solution.
Honda said its total investments with LG in Ohio will ultimately reach $4.4 billion.
The investment comes at the same time that Honda is preparing to receive EVs from General Motors based on GM's Ultium battery technology. But Honda has said that it intends to also produce its own EVs.
The planned new hub will include Honda's Marysville Auto Plant, East Liberty Auto Plant and the massive Anna Engine Plant, which will be converted to build EVs and EV components. The reinvestment in those factories will create 300 jobs.
Ohio has been the center of Honda's North American manufacturing base since 1979, although in subsequent years, it additionally built plants in Alabama, Georgia, Indiana, North Carolina and South Carolina, as well as in Ontario and Mexico.