Honda pledges $1 billion toward EV development in Ohio

MARYSVILLE, Ohio (WCMH) — Honda is investing heavily in Ohio, and in the future of electric vehicles.
Sunday, the company announced a more than $1 billion investment in the development and manufacturing of electric vehicles to be based in Ohio’s three main Honda auto facilities in Marysville, East Liberty, and Anna. The company said this investment includes 300 new jobs in the state. Honda already employs more than 12,000 people in Ohio.
“This is truly a once in a lifetime opportunity to be able to reset the production volume, reset the production characteristics, and introduce a plant that will be sustainable for the next 40 years.” says Tim Leopold, Honda’s BEV project lead at the Marysville plant.
Honda founded its Marysville automotive plant in 1982, and now that plant will be Honda’s first plant globally to assemble battery packs for their new fleet of EV’s. It’s part of Honda’s previously announced commitment to produce all-electric vehicles in its fleet by 2040.
“We’re going through a significant transformation for us as a company to reimagine our manufacturing operation, to be human friendly and environmentally responsible.” says Mike Fischer, Honda’s executive chief engineer. “It’s not just about the Ohio hub, but to create a business model that translates not only here in Ohio, but nationally, regionally and globally for Honda motor moving forward in the future.”
But the conversion to electric vehicles is not an entirely smooth one, beginning with current costs. According to a recent study by auto retailer Edmunds, an average EV compact SUV can cost more than $17,000 more than a gas-burning small SUV. A lack of charging stations and range of distance for current EV batteries are among consumers’ concerns.
All auto manufacturers are also facing new market conditions based on a recently signed executive order from the Trump administration. The President seeks to reverse EV tax credits created under the Biden administration to further encourage EV development and move away from gas-burning vehicles.
The new executive order also put an immediate pause on billions of dollars previously marked for new EV charging stations. Honda plans to roll out an Acura RSX SUV as the first electric model produced at the Ohio EV hub. That’s set for later in 2025, with production of the Honda 0 Saloon and 0 SUV coming online shortly after. Production of those vehicles will happen along the same production lines already in use.
“This transformation does not represent simply investing in retooling and equipment, but we’re investing in our people.” says Bob Schwyn, senior VP of Honda Development of America. “Our associates are taking on new responsibilities Honda has never done before, with our associates learning new skills and processes. So this really is a great opportunity for our associates to start from scratch, to be on the ground floor and the starting point of the future of Honda manufacturing.”
This is all amidst Honda’s aim to merge with fellow Japanese automaker Nissan by 2026, which would create the world’s third largest automaker behind Toyota and Volkswagen.