Honda has announced key next steps in the establishment of its new electric vehicle (EV) hub in Ohio, targeted to lead the company’s journey to an electrified future in North America. In October 2022, Honda announced a $700 million investment to retool several of its existing auto and powertrain plants to establish the new EV Hub, to prepare for the production¹ of battery electric vehicles in 2026. In addition to impacting Ohio facilities, the plans will impact plants in Indiana, Georgia, and Alabama.
An associate at the Marysville Auto Plant installs a battery in a hybrid Accord as the facility prepares to lead all U.S. plants toward an electrified future. (Photo: Honda)
The Marysville Auto Plant will be Honda’s first auto plant in the U.S. to transition to making EVs. As part of the EV Hub in Ohio, Honda will transform its Marysville Auto Plant, East Liberty Auto Plant, and Anna Engine Plant, leading to the start of EV production in North America. This EV Hub will play a key role in developing the company’s knowledge and expertise in EV production that will be shared across Honda’s North American auto production network in the coming years.
Each Honda auto production facility in North America will play a role in Honda’s EV strategy. The automaker expects to maintain employment stability during the key next steps that will take place at the following locations:
OHIO
The Marysville Auto Plant will begin preparing for EV production as early as January 2024, by consolidating two production lines currently making vehicles powered by internal combustion engines (ICE) and hybrid-electric vehicle systems. This will enable the plant to begin building the infrastructure necessary for EV production. Starting later this year, associates will begin training programs designed to prepare them for the skills required for EV production.
The Anna Engine Plant will transfer component production for two different generations of engines to Honda’s engine plant at the Alabama Auto Plant. Machining of the engine head, which ended at the Anna Engine Plant in February, will be added to existing Alabama Auto Plant operations beginning this month. Engine block casting for the all-new V6 engine just introduced in the all-new 2023 Honda Pilot will begin in Alabama in August 2023. These two moves will allow Anna Engine Plant to re-allocate space for future IPU Case production.
