Toyota’s $13.9 billion battery plant now being built in NC: questions and answers
Toyota announced this week that it was upping its investment in a battery manufacturing facility in North Carolina by $8 billion, bringing its total investment to $13.9 billion. It also said it expects to employ some 5,000 workers at the site, about 3,000 more than previously announced.
Here are answers to some common questions about the factory:
Where exactly is the Toyota plant?
The Toyota battery plant is under construction on 1,800 acres along U.S. 421 about 20 miles southeast of Greensboro, near the Randolph County town of Liberty, population 2,676. When it’s finished, Toyota says, the plant will cover 7 million square feet or “121 football fields of battery production.”
What kind of batteries will Toyota produce at the site?
Toyota will produce three types of lithium-ion batteries, which will be used to power electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid vehicles. The first batteries are expected to be produced in early 2025 and will be used in Toyota SUVs built in Kentucky. At full capacity in 2030, Toyota expects the facility to reach a total production of more than 30 GWh a year.
Where will the lithium come from?
At first, overseas, but Toyota said it was “searching high and low” for domestic sources. Two mining companies — Albemarle Corp. and Piedmont Lithium — have plans for mining operations in Gaston and Cleveland counties.
Where will Toyota find 5,000 workers?
Toyota said it expects to draw workers from a 60-mile radius around the plant. That would include Winston-Salem, Greensboro, Durham and Raleigh and, almost, Fayetteville and Charlotte, as well as Danville and Martinsville in Virginia.
Asked about the competition for labor from other manufacturers in the area, including VinFast and Wolfspeed, Toyota Battery Manufacturing North Carolina President Sean Suggs said, “We believe there’s a big old ocean for everyone to find talent. We believe there’s enough there for all of us to share.”
How can I apply for a job?
Toyota is already recruiting workers for the plant. Scroll through the Liberty job openings at this link.
