Toyota has opened the Toyota Battery Center of North America in Saline, Michigan, expanding its North American battery development, testing and evaluation capabilities.
The new 30,000-square-foot facility will allow Toyota’s Michigan-based battery teams to work across the battery development cycle, including raw-material sourcing, technology evaluation, customer applications and recycling.
The center will serve as a central battery development and evaluation hub for Toyota’s North American manufacturing network.
Its work will support battery evaluation for Toyota Battery Manufacturing North Carolina and Toyota vehicle manufacturing operations throughout North America.
Toyota engineers and technicians at the center will evaluate battery performance and develop technologies for hybrid, plug-in hybrid, hydrogen and battery-electric vehicles.
The company said the facility is intended to help engineers diagnose field concerns more quickly while developing batteries tailored to conditions experienced by North American drivers.
Toyota is also opening access to the facility and its research capabilities through the University of Michigan Electric Vehicle Center.
The partnership will allow additional research collaborators to use the center’s testing and evaluation infrastructure and is intended to support development of battery engineers and technicians in Michigan.
Toyota is a founding member of the University of Michigan Electric Vehicle Center.
The opening represents another expansion of Toyota’s Michigan research and development operations, where the company has maintained a presence for more than 50 years.
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“Toyota has long been at the forefront of battery development. This center is where that leadership expands to North America, and where we’re building its next chapter.”
Keita Moritsu, Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer of Toyota Motor North America R&D
“Today is a big win for Michigan’s leadership in advanced automotive manufacturing. We are proud to welcome this investment by Toyota that positions Michigan as the best place to build the future. This state-of-the-art facility will develop, test, and improve the batteries powering the next generation of vehicles. It joins factories and projects opening across our state that are creating good-paying, high-skilled jobs in every community. Let’s keep working together to build the future of cars, chips, batteries, and so much more right here in Michigan.”
Gretchen Whitmer, Governor of Michigan
“For Toyota customers, this facility means Toyota engineers can detect and resolve field concerns faster and closer to the source. It also means we can develop longer-lasting batteries designed to perform in the conditions American drivers face every day.”
Jordan Choby, Group Vice President of Powertrain at Toyota
