Automobile company Honda announced an update on their EV Hub in Ohio that will allow for gas, hybrid and all-electric vehicles to be made on the same production line.
The hub will reimagine production at three Ohio facilities: the Marysville Auto Plant, the East Liberty Auto Plant and the Anna Engine Plant, “focusing on human-friendly and environmentally responsible manufacturing layouts, processes and materials.”
"Our efforts in establishing the Honda EV Hub in Ohio are not focused simply on EV production but on fundamentally reimagining our approach to manufacturing," Mike Fischer, executive chief engineer and Honda EV Hub lead, said in a company release. "Our EV Hub in Ohio is creating an approach to EV production that will serve as the foundation for Honda operations throughout North America and globally."
The company intends to start EV production at the Hub in late 2025. They intend to sell only electric vehicles by 2040.
The company is continuing to work on shifting the facility to allow for this modern production. One of those changes is installing six high-pressure die cast machines. They are working on installing the first of these at the Anna Engine Plant.
The release notes that they will be creating a “flexible production line” that will construct the gas, hybrid, EV and internal combustion engines.
Honda’s foray into automobile production in the U.S. started at the Marysville Auto Plant in 1982. The Japan-based company says more than two-thirds of Honda/Acura automobiles sold in America were also built in America.
The company had announced the plans for building this EV Hub back in 2022, “including an investment of $700 million for the retooling of its auto production facilities in Ohio.” They say the facility is set to be finished by the end of this year.
"In the spirit of the global Honda 0 Series of electric vehicles that we announced in January at CES, we are truly going back to zero, transforming our production environment to more human-friendly and environmentally responsible processes and materials," Fischer in the release. "By optimizing the flow of processes we're also making it easier for Honda associates to achieve the highest level of quality, efficiency and value for our customers."