The Auto Channel
The Largest Independent Automotive Research Resource
The Largest Independent Automotive Research Resource
Official Website of the New Car Buyer

Akio Toyoda's "Choice" Vision Seems To Have Been Bought-off As Toyota Joins Other Offshore Car Makers And Spends $Billions To Qualify For Potential $Trillions Of "Made In USA" Green New Deal "EV Buyer Subsidies" A Deal They Can't Refuse, Will Build US Infrastructure For Toyota BEV and Battery Production


PHOTO (select to view enlarged photo)

Co-publishers Note: Ok BEV lovers you win or so it looks like as the Post Akio Toyoda's Toyota Board that drank the EV Kool-Aide and replaced car guy Akio Toyoda, Toyota President and Grandson of the Toyota Company Founder, to ignore Mr. Toyoda's knowledgeable advocacy for CHOICE at Toyota the worlds most successful car company clean the air and still offer future Toyota buyers their CHOICE of more than just China's and the idiots running the US Government's favorite mobility power...BEV's.

Mr. Toyoda was forced out of the job he loved and was great at.

We at The Auto Channel have always believed that that if our viewers wish to purchase an EV they should be able to, but don't just offer a one size fits all for everyone, it just wont work (as we will see). Mr. Toyoda understood this and took his CHOICE vision into the ring to duke it out with members of his Board who apparently were swayed by EV propagandists, and who will have Toyota join the other future failures of automobile companies.

The insidious power of the pro EV lobby is now so far reaching and Godfather like that it can dictate when the world's most successful auto exec at the world's most successful car maker must bow deeply to deliver platitudes and step aside for a pliable member of the EV Claque.

May 30 2023; Wall Street Journal bashes California for gas car ban, asks why Americans can't buy the cars 'they want' Joins The Auto Channel 25 year old CHOICE position

SEE ALSO: Toyota President Akio Toyoda Said "Motorist Choice Is The Future, The enemy is carbon, not internal combustion engines"; Motorist-Choice Has Been The TACH Position For 25 Years!


SEE ALSO: Toyota Updates EV Thinking
SEE ALSO: New Toyota Boss Breathes New Life Into Akio Toyoda's Future Vision; PHEV with 120+ Miles of EV Range
SEE ALSO: OK China You Win
SEE ALSO: Toyota (the last best chance to stop the EV fairy-tale) folded like an origami chicken and facilitated the elimination of freedom of choice by agreeing to stop selling real cars in California after 2035. Cluck cluck
SEE ALSO: Toyota Chief Says "Silent Majority" Has Doubts About Pursuing Only EVs
SEE ALSO: Toyota's Chief Scientist on Hydrogen vs. Lithium-Ion Batteries & Why We Need Both
SEE ALSO: Ford Splits Into Two Car Makers - Real and Electric
SEE ALSO: Hydrogen News and Tutorial Archive, It's Not MPG But MPG Of What?
SEE ALSO: The End Of The Internal Combustion Engine? Really?
SEE ALSO: Electric Vehicles Speed Ahead on a Bridge to Nowhere
SEE ALSO: Toyota Promises Motorist Choice No Matter What - Never Mind
SEE ALSO: There's nothing wrong with the internal combustion engine that a better fuel won't fix. Don't throw the baby out with the bath water!
SEE ALSO: Toyota "Choice" News Library

Toyota Ramps Up Commitment to Electrification with U.S. BEV Production and Additional Battery Plant Investment

  • All-new, three-row, battery electric SUV will be assembled at Toyota Kentucky starting in 2025
  • New SUV will use batteries from Toyota North Carolina which begins battery production in 2025
  • New $2.1 billion battery plant investment will allow for an expanded role in support of electrification

PLANO, Texas (May 31, 2023) – Advancing its commitment to vehicle electrification and building where it sells, Toyota will assemble an all-new, three-row, battery electric SUV at Toyota Kentucky starting in 2025. The company’s first U.S.-assembled BEV will be powered by batteries from Toyota North Carolina. The new battery plant, which is currently under construction, will receive an additional $2.1 billion investment to support the company’s drive toward carbon neutrality.

“We are committed to reducing carbon emissions as much as possible and as soon as possible,” said Ted Ogawa, president and chief executive officer, Toyota Motor North America. “To achieve this goal, customers must have access to a portfolio of options that meet their needs now and in the future. 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.”

Kentucky to Launch Toyota’s First U.S. BEV

Today’s announcement confirms that Toyota Kentucky will lead the company’s vehicle carbon reduction efforts with its first U.S.–assembled BEV, a 3-row SUV.

“Toyota Kentucky set the standard for Toyota vehicle manufacturing in the U.S. and now we’re leading the charge with BEVs,” said Susan Elkington, president of Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Kentucky. “Our incredible team of Kentuckians is excited to take on this new challenge while delivering the same great quality and reliability that our customers expect.”

The decision to assemble a BEV in the U.S. demonstrates the company’s belief in electric vehicles and its commitment to design, engineer and produce vehicles for the market.

“This is incredible news that furthers Kentucky as the center of the electric vehicle sector,” said Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear. “Toyota has long been a vital part of the automotive industry in the commonwealth, and now the company is positioned to help lead us into the future. I want to thank the company’s leaders for their commitment to our state’s incredible workforce, and I can’t wait to see what’s next for Toyota and Kentucky.”

North Carolina Brings the Power

Toyota is investing $2.1 billion in its North Carolina battery manufacturing plant for new infrastructure to support future expansion. This brings total investment in Toyota North Carolina to $5.9 billion.

“Toyota’s significant investment in our state, now nearly $6 billion, is terrific news and more evidence that North Carolina is a leader in the clean energy economy,” said North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper. “Toyota believes in our world-class workforce to power its future success and I appreciate this enormous commitment here.”

The facility will be Toyota’s hub for developing and producing lithium-ion batteries needed for its expanding portfolio of electrified vehicles. Production at the Liberty plant is slated to begin in 2025 with six battery production lines, four for hybrid electric vehicles and two for BEVs.

“The future is bright at Toyota North Carolina,” said Sean Suggs, president, Toyota Battery Manufacturing, North Carolina. “With this proactive infrastructure investment, we will be able to quickly support future expansion opportunities to meet growing customer need.”

Additional Quotes from North Carolina Officials

“Toyota’s continued commitment in North Carolina confirms our status as a manufacturing powerhouse,” said North Carolina Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Berger. “This expansion further cements our thriving partnership, and it wouldn’t be possible without the reforms the General Assembly implemented to transform North Carolina into a jobs-friendly state.”

“Toyota and the State of North Carolina have formed a strong partnership that will transform the future for North Carolina,” said Tim Moore, Speaker of the North Carolina House of Representatives. “Our state has proven to be –again and again – one of the best locations for companies of all sizes to do business, and Toyota’s continued investment in our state is indicative of that recognition.”

Clear Leader in Electrification

A pioneer in electrified vehicles, Toyota has put more than 23 million hybrids, plug-in hybrids, fuel cell electric and battery electric vehicles on the road globally – more than all other automakers combined. The company currently offers 22 electrified vehicle options in the U.S. across the Toyota and Lexus brands, the most among any automaker. By 2025, the company plans to have an electrified option available for every Toyota and Lexus model globally.

Over the last two years, the company has invested more than $8 billion in its U.S. manufacturing operations primarily to support its product electrification efforts.