Honda to Transform Ohio Auto Plant Ahead of EV production in North America

Honda will transform its Marysville Auto Plant (MAP) in Ohio, leading to the start of EV production in North America. The plant will consolidate two assembly lines to retool for production of EVs and EV components.

The MAP, where Honda began auto production in America in 1982, will be Honda’s first auto plant in the US to transition to making EVs.

Production of the Accord model will be transfered from MAP to the Indiana Auto Plant as MAP retools for EV production.

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 EV Hub in Ohio, to prepare for the production* of battery electric vehicles in 2026.

As part of the new EV Hub, Honda and LGES have committed to invest $3.5 billion in the new JV facility of over 2 million 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.

Honda's goal is to make battery-electric and fuel cell electric vehicles represent 100% of its vehicle sales by 2040.

In a press release, Honda says: 'MAP 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. Consolidating production to one line will enable MAP to begin building the infrastructure necessary for EV production. Every MAP associate will have a position as part of this transition'.

Honda established manufacturing operations in America in 1979 with the start of motorcycle production in Marysville, Ohio, and today has one of the largest and most diverse U.S. manufacturing footprints of any international company.