Toyota Motor Corp. launched production at a $13.9 billion North Carolina battery plant and pledged up to $10 billion in additional U.S. investments over five years, bringing its American spending to nearly $60 billion since entering the market seven decades ago.
The 1,850-acre Liberty facility represents the Japanese automaker’s first in-house battery manufacturing operation beyond its home market and will eventually employ 5,100 workers across 14 production lines. The plant began shipping batteries in June for hybrid models including the Camry, RAV4 and Corolla Cross, with output planned for an undisclosed electric three-row vehicle.
The timing reflects Toyota’s bet on hybrids rather than all-electric vehicles as consumer preferences remain mixed. While competitors like General Motors and Ford have scaled back EV ambitions following slower-than-expected demand, Toyota has maintained its multi-pathway strategy emphasizing hybrids alongside limited battery-electric offerings.
North Carolina provided roughly $664 million in state and local incentives contingent on meeting employment and investment targets. The facility will produce 30 gigawatt-hours of lithium-ion batteries annually at full capacity, supporting Toyota’s goal of launching 30 battery-electric models globally by 2030.
Chief Executive Tetsuo Ogawa characterized the plant opening as marking a turning point in the automaker’s history, though Toyota declined to specify how the additional $10 billion would be allocated across its 11 U.S. manufacturing sites.
