COLUMBUS – Ohio could be getting another high-tech manufacturing facility.
Major South Korean battery maker LG and Japanese automaker Honda are investing $4.4 billion in a joint venture to produce batteries for Honda electric vehicles in the North American market.
They say the plant’s U.S. site is still undecided, but Gov. Mike DeWine says Ohio is lobbying hard to bring the factory to the Buckeye State.
“For almost 40 years, Ohio has been at the center of Honda’s North American vehicle production, and we are working with Honda and LG to ensure that they choose Ohio for this new electric battery plant,” DeWine said in a statement released after the announcement.
Honda’s manufacturing plant in Marysville opened in 1982 and is the automaker’s largest U.S. plant.
Construction on the battery production facility is to begin in early 2023 with mass production of advanced lithium-ion battery cells to start by the end of 2025.
The closing of the deal is subject to regulatory approval.
They say the plant will produce batteries exclusively for Honda vehicles assembled in North America, including the company’s Acura luxury brand, produced in Marysville.