Future Honda EVs might be powered by cells from Ohio battery plant

Honda and LG Power Answer on Tuesday confirmed particulars of a joint-venture Ohio battery plant that may produce battery modules for North American-market Honda EVs starting in 2025.

Introduced in 2022, the joint-venture plant might be situated in Fayette County, about 40 miles southwest of Columbus, and goals for 40 gigawatt-hours of annual manufacturing capability, Honda confirmed in a press launch.

Honda and LG Power Answer will commit $4.4 billion to the three way partnership, with $3.5 billion going to the plant itself. Building is scheduled to start out in 2023, with completion scheduled for 2024 so as to begin mass producing pouch-type lithium-ion batteries by 2025, in response to Honda.

That timeline aligns with Honda’s plan to start producing and promoting EVs in North America in 2026, based mostly on its in-house e:Structure. Honda already has a major U.S. manufacturing footprint, in addition to R&D amenities that would help in future EV growth. It additionally introduced a companion $700 million funding to revamp a number of current Ohio vegetation for EV manufacturing.

Nevertheless, Honda’s first mass-market EV for the U.S. would be the Prologue SUV, based mostly on Basic Motors Ultium tech. It is scheduled to debut in 2024, and is anticipated to be constructed alongside the Chevrolet Blazer EV in Mexico. Honda’s Acura luxurious model may also get the Ultium-derived ZDX SUV in 2024, with manufacturing anticipated to happen at GM’s Spring Hill, Tennessee, manufacturing unit alongside the Cadillac Lyriq.

2024 Honda Prologue

In 2027, Honda and GM plan to start promoting co-developed inexpensive EVs in North America. That is from each the Ultium-based Prologue/ZDX deal and Honda’s personal e:Structure.

Whereas the announcement solely mentions typical lithium-ion battery chemistry, Honda can be researching solid-state batteries, though they seemingly will not be prepared to be used in manufacturing EVs till later this decade, on the earliest.

These varied efforts will contribute to Honda’s objective of eliminating all combustion engines from its international lineup by 2040, leaving each battery-electric and hydrogen fuel-cell autos.