Toyota to Build USD 50 Million Lab in Michigan to Test Batteries for Electric and Hybrid Vehicles

York Township, June 8: Toyota says it will spend nearly USD 50 million to build a vehicle battery testing laboratory at its North American research centre in Michigan. The company said Thursday that the lab in York Township south of Ann Arbor will test batteries made for hybrid and electric vehicles at a new factory in North Carolina, as well as from battery suppliers.

No new jobs will be created because Toyota will reassign workers from other areas and provide training as needed. The company says the lab is expected to begin work in 2025 and could be expanded as more electric vehicles are made. The lab will do performance, quality and durability testing, as well as testing of charging capabilities. Cars Launches in India in June 2023: From Honda Elevate to the Return of the Iconic Mercedes-AMG SL55, Checkout These Important Upcoming Car Debut & Launches.

“This new facility also enables us to experiment and pursue new opportunities as technology and business needs advance,” Jordan Choby, group vice president of powertrain, said in a statement.

Last month Toyota said it would invest another USD 2.1 billion in the battery factory that’s under construction near Greensboro, North Carolina. It brings the total investment in the Randolph County plant to USD 5.9 billion to meet the company’s goal of selling 1.8 million electric or hybrid vehicles in the US by 2030. Toyota broke ground on the plant in 2021.

To start, it will supply batteries to Toyota’s huge complex in Georgetown, Kentucky, which will build Toyota’s first US-made electric vehicle, a new SUV with three rows of seats. Tesla Model Y Becomes World’s Best-Selling Car, 1st EV to Earn the Prestigious Tag.

Toyota’s new President Koji Sato has promised what he called an aggressive shift on “electrification” of vehicles including hybrids. The company has been criticized by environmental groups for falling behind in electric vehicle sales and relying on hybrids, which burn gasoline, for future sales.

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