Honda and LG Energy Solution will build their previously announced joint venture EV battery plant in Fayette County, Ohio. The company will invest at least $3.5 billion to build the plant, and overall spending in the joint venture could be as high as $4.4 billion. The project will create 2,200 jobs.
Construction of the battery factory will begin in early 2023 and will be completed by the end of 2024. By the end of 2025, Honda targets to produce 40 gigawatt hours of lithium-ion batteries there annually. The site battery will be exclusively for Honda and Acura branded vehicles.
Specifically, the plant will be located near Jeffersonville, OH, according to Columbus Shipping. This will locate the site about 40 miles from Columbus, OH, and about 50 miles from the Honda factory in Marysville, OH. The Ohio Department of Transportation will repair roads in the area near the new plant.
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Honda’s EV strategy includes launching the Prolog in 2024 (gallery above). Using Ultium batteries and platforms from General Motors. The crossover even has the same 121.8-inch (3,094 millimeter) wheelbase as the Cadillac Lyriq and Chevrolet Blazer EV. Powertrain and battery details are not yet available for Honda. The Acura ZDX comes on the same basis.
In 2026, Honda plans to start producing EV uses its own e:architecture, and this model will use batteries from LG’s new Ohio joint venture. There are no technical details about this vehicle yet. Columbus Shipping reports the company intends to build the product at factories in Marysville and East Liberty, OH.
Honda and GM are also developing a dedicated EV platform. The first vehicles to use it are supposed to arrive in 2027.
In addition, Honda has formed a joint venture with Sony to develop an EV that can be sold in early 2025. Honda plans to handle manufacturing and Sony develops the platform. We don’t yet know if the resulting product will be available in the US.
In the world of two wheels, Honda announced a strategy in September to introduce 10 electric models by 2025. They will include commuter models, electric mopeds, and what the company calls “Fun EVs” which appear to include sporty models judging by the teaser images.
