Toyota Motor Co announced on Wednesday the company will build an all electric SUV in the U.S. The yet to be named SUV will begin production in 2025 with the automaker investing an additional $2.1 billion to make the lithium ion batteries needed state side as well.
Assembly of Toyota’s first U.S build BEV SUV will be at its plant in Georgetown, Kentucky, the company’s largest manufacturing facility globally. Toyota currently employs about 9,500 people at the facility where it makes the Camry sedan, RAV 4 SUV, several engines and other parts. “Toyota Kentucky set the standard for Toyota vehicle manufacturing in the US and now we’re leading the charge with BEVs,” Susan Elkington, president of Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Kentucky, said. The battery plant, called Toyota North Carolina, is currently under construction in Liberty, North Carolina. When it is completed in 2025, it will employ around 2,100 people.
"It is exciting to see our largest U.S. plant, Toyota Kentucky, and our newest plant, Toyota North Carolina, drive us into the future together with BEV and battery production for our expanding electrified lineup," said Ted Ogawa, CEO of Toyota Motor North America. Toyota and Lexus plan to bring 30 EVs to markets globally and sell up to 3.5 million EVs by 2030. The automakers luxury line, Lexus, plans to be all-electric by 2035. The worlds largest automaker says it is gearing up for an electric future. Once considered a green vehicle pioneer, the automaker has sold a total of 20 million hybrid cars, trucks, and SUVs around the world, and 5.4 million in the U.S. alone.