Toyota Motor North America has revealed plans to invest approximately $50 million in the construction of a new automotive laboratory facility at its North American research and development headquarters in York Township, Michigan.
According to the company, the new battery lab is aimed at ensuring that Toyota’s batteries meet the performance, quality, and durability requirements of North American customers.
The lab, which is expected to commence operations in 2025, will conduct evaluations related to Level 2 and Level 3 charging, as well as connectivity to power sources and infrastructure. Toyota’s R&D campuses in York Township and Ann Arbor will also upgrade their chassis dynamometers to accommodate comprehensive evaluations of battery electric vehicles (BEV).
Additionally, the lab will collaborate with other North American suppliers to integrate locally-produced battery components and materials, aligning with Toyota’s multi-pathway strategy to cut carbon emissions by offering a portfolio of hybrid, plug-in hybrid, fuel cell, and BEVs.
Apart from current battery production, the lab engineers will explore new battery configurations for future products, potentially contributing to Toyota’s development of new electrified vehicle architectures. Toyota aims to expand the lab’s capabilities further to support the needs of the battery and BEV ecosystem.
Related Stories on E-Mobility in the C&I Energy Transition
AESC breaks ground on 30-GWh Battery Storage Manufacturing plant in South Carolina
GM converting EV Chargers to Tesla Charging Network
Read our latest newsletter with stories on Schneider trucking & Investment Forecast by Quanta CEO
The new facility also will be included in the company’s enrollment in DTE Energy’s MIGreenPower program, which allows Toyota’s Michigan-based R&D operations to attribute 100 percent of its electricity use to renewable energy projects starting in 2026.
“By adding these critical evaluation capabilities around automotive batteries, our team is positioned to better serve the needs of our customers, including Toyota Battery Manufacturing North Carolina and Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky, the latter of which will soon be assembling the recently announced all-new, three-row, battery electric SUV,” said Shinichi Yasui, Executive Vice President of Toyota Motor North America (TMNA), Research and Development.
In the past two years, Toyota has invested more than $8 billion in its U.S. manufacturing operations primarily to support its product electrification initiatives. On a global scale, the company plans to invest over $70 billion in vehicle electrification by 2030.
