Japanese automaker Honda announced on Monday that it will invest $3 billion in a new vehicle manufacturing plant in central Ohio for hybrid vehicle production.
The facility, expected to receive final regulatory approvals, is scheduled to begin operations in 2029. It will add annual production capacity of 240,000 vehicles and create more than 2,000 jobs. The investment forms part of a broader expansion program across Honda’s operations in Ohio, Alabama and Georgia aimed at increasing U.S. production of hybrid-electric vehicles, engines and hybrid powertrain systems.
The proposed facility will be established near Honda’s existing East Liberty and Marysville manufacturing plants, further expanding the automaker’s footprint in Ohio. It will become Honda’s fourth vehicle assembly plant in the state and its ninth automotive-related production facility in the United States.
The investment is expected to raise Honda’s annual automobile production capacity in the U.S. to 1.3 million units and its North American capacity to 1.9 million units.
Honda identified several factors behind its decision to select Ohio for the project. These include the availability of a skilled workforce, the strong presence of its U.S. supplier network, proximity to vehicle research and development operations, and established manufacturing facilities for vehicles, engines and hybrid systems. The state is also home to the L-H Battery Company joint venture facility, which is expected to manufacture battery cells for both hybrid and fully electric vehicles.
Honda’s latest investment extends beyond the planned Ohio assembly plant, reflecting a broader commitment to expanding its hybrid vehicle production network across the United States.
The automaker is also upgrading its Lincoln, Alabama, facility, where it plans to increase manufacturing capacity and add production of a new V6 hybrid powertrain. Honda said the plant will gain greater manufacturing flexibility, enabling it to build multiple vehicle models across its two assembly lines.
Meanwhile, Honda’s Anna Engine Plant in Ohio is being extensively retooled to produce a next-generation Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder engine designed for future compact and midsize vehicles.
Honda is also modernizing its transmission plant in Ohio, where an existing transmission assembly line will be converted into a second production line for next-generation hybrid systems intended for compact and midsize models. The facility will additionally serve as the lead production site for Honda’s hybrid system for larger vehicles, with parallel manufacturing planned at the company’s transmission plant in Georgia. Further details on the vehicle programs that will utilize these new hybrid systems are expected to be announced in the coming years.
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