Honda is changing so much about the way it operates, it’s calling this period in its history a Second Founding. With the choppy change to hybrid and electric vehicles the company is radically retooling three of its plants in Ohio to help it better withstand fluctuations in the market.
At the Honda EV Hub, which is its name for Honda’s area in Ohio where three plants are situated, the locations will be able to produce internal combustion engine, electric and hybrid vehicles on the same assembly line, while making it easier on its workers and with less waste.
A model based on the Acura Performance EV Concept, which made its global debut during the 2024 Monterey Car Week, will become the first EV made at the EV Hub, going on sale in late 2025. The Hub includes the Marysville Auto Plant, the East Liberty Auto Plant and the Anna Engine Plant.
“Honda’s establishment of the EV Hub in Ohio is pivotal, positioning the company to navigate the evolving automotive landscape with flexibility and foresight. By enabling the simultaneous production of internal combustion, hybrid, and electric vehicles on the same lines, Honda is future-proofing its operations and ensuring it can quickly adapt to shifting consumer demands,” Paul Waatti, director of industry analysis at AutoPacfic told Newsweek.
Honda
At the Anna Engine Plant, Honda is installing a 6,000-ton high-pressure die cast machine to cast the housings for its new Intelligent Power Unit, which serves as part of the chassis and holds the batteries.
At Marysville the company is consolidating two vehicle production lines into one to begin the transition to those flexible production methods. The Marysville Plant is preparing for the sub-assembly of the Intelligent Power Unit (IPU), combining battery modules from the Honda-LG Energy Solution joint venture EV battery plant, also being constructed in Ohio.
“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,” said Mike Fischer, executive chief engineer and Honda EV Hub lead in a press 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.”
Acura
Honda says it is focusing on simple design, simple manufacturing and simple logistics during this transition, keeping the value to the customer as the priority. This change will reduce complexity enabling workers to walk less while doing their jobs. It also increases the space allotted for parts delivery and staging.
New equipment at the plants will save on the amount of energy it uses while a new aluminum material will allow for increase recycling. The company will eventually reuse 98 percent of all scrap metal generated in the production of its vehicles.
“Localized EV production is crucial for North America. Still, Honda’s ability to modulate production output between different propulsion types under the same roof is a significant competitive advantage that may be even more critical to its electrification efforts and profitability during this unpredictable transition,” said Waatti.
Honda announced plans for the Honda EV Hub in Ohio in October 2022 and has invested $700 million at the plants already. Honda and LG Energy Solution also committed to invest $3.5 billion in the new joint venture battery facility. The company says the facility will be completed by the end of this year with an annual capacity of approximately 40 gigawatt hours.
Honda’s plan is still to make battery-electric and fuel cell electric vehicles represent 100 percent of its vehicle sales by 2040.
