Honda and LG Energy Solution Break Ground for New EV Battery Plant in Ohio

With hardhats and shovels, Honda and LG Energy Solution leaders held an official groundbreaking ceremony on February 28, 2023, for a new joint venture electric vehicle battery plant spanning over 2 million square feet or 78 football fields. 

The site is near Jeffersonville, Ohio, at I-71 and U.S. Route 35, 40 miles southwest of Columbus.

Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe flew in from Japan to celebrate the partnership and acknowledge the company’s rich history in the Buckeye state.

“It’s great to be back in Ohio, a special place for Honda,” Mibe said. “We have produced and developed products for over 40 years.”

“Now, based on this strong foundation, we are reinvesting in Ohio, the new EV hub,” he said. “We will continue to create new value for our customers and the future. We’ll build tomorrow together.”

The two companies have committed to invest $3.5 billion in the new joint venture (JV) facility, with their overall investment projected to reach $4.4 billion.

“The value systems of both companies are very similar,” said Robert Lee of the L-H Battery, Inc CEO joint venture. “We respect people, we are about fairness, and our culture is not only technical synergy. The cultural value we share will be the foundation of our success moving forward.”

The facility will create 2,200 jobs and draw workers from Fayette County and Columbus, Cincinnati, Dayton, and Ohio’s Appalachian counties.

The groundbreaking marks a continuation of the positive momentum Ohio is experiencing, Governor Mike DeWine said.

“This is Ohio’s time,” he said. “We are going to continue to bring companies into Ohio, and we are going to continue to see companies in Ohio expand. …There is no better place to live, raise a family, or start a business.”

Lt. Governor Jon Husted grew up in a rural Ohio community similar to Fayette County.

“We know what a project like this means for the community,” he said. “Doing projects like this is never easy; it takes a lot of collaboration. Those who collaborate best are the ones who win. It will be a rising tide that lifts all boats because we build tomorrow.”

JobsOhio, the state’s private nonprofit economic development corporation, has significantly focused on supporting the automotive supply chain as original equipment manufacturers pivot to electric vehicle production.

“Honda’s new commitment comes after 45 years of collaboration, growth, and success, shaping generational opportunity and investment for Ohioans,” said J.P. Nauseef, JobsOhio president and CEO. “Honda and Ohio have partnered to strengthen its current manufacturing while transitioning, together, to build the vehicles of the future.”

Construction of the plant is expected to be completed next year. Battery production is anticipated to happen in 2025. Honda said it aims to make battery-electric and fuel-cell electric vehicles 100% of its vehicle sales by 2040.