Honda announced that it will build a new plant in Ohio's Midwest region with an investment of approximately $3 billion to meet growing demand for hybrid vehicles. Annual production is expected to total 240,000 vehicles, with operations targeted to begin in 2029.
Honda will invest approximately $3 billion (approximately ¥470 billion) to build a new finished-vehicle plant in Ohio. The new plant is expected to have annual production capacity of nearly 260,000 vehicles, with operations targeted to begin in 2029. It is expected to focus mainly on hybrid vehicles while also producing gasoline-powered vehicles and electric vehicles.
The new plant will be Honda's sixth finished-vehicle plant in the US, raising total North American production capacity from the current 1.67 million vehicles to 1.91 million after completion. It will be built on a site adjacent to the existing East Liberty plant and is expected to create more than 2,000 new jobs.
Senior Executive Vice President Bob Nelson (ボブ・ネルソン) emphasized at a press conference that the new plant could become one of the most advanced in the world. He said Honda would prioritize hybrids while maintaining the flexibility to produce hybrids, gasoline-powered vehicles and electric vehicles.
The article reports as facts Honda's expansion of its US production footprint and its response to demand for hybrid vehicles. Readers may wish to watch trends in the US hybrid-vehicle market and the development of Honda's production system.