Toyota to Assemble Battery-Electric SUV in Kentucky

Toyota announced a $1.3 billion investment at its flagship Kentucky facility for future electrification efforts, including assembly of an all-new, three-row battery-electric SUV for the U.S. market.

The Georgetown, Kentucky, plant is Toyota’s largest manufacturing facility in the world.

The investment supports the previously announced future BEV assembly at Toyota Kentucky. It also adds a battery-pack assembly line to the facility, with batteries being supplied by Toyota Battery Manufacturing North Carolina, according to the automaker.

The announcement “reflects our commitment to vehicle electrification and further reinvesting in our U.S. operations,” said Kerry Creech, president of Toyota Kentucky. “Generations of our team members helped prepare for this opportunity, and we will continue leading the charge into the future by remaining true to who we are as a company and putting our people first for generations to come.”

Toyota Kentucky has been a hub of the automaker’s North American operations since 1986. Its nearly 9,400 team members have assembled some of the most popular nameplates in the Toyota lineup, including the Camry.

Since 2021, Toyota has announced new investments totaling $17 billion into its U.S. manufacturing operations to support electrification efforts.

“Increasing BEV assembly in North America advances Toyota’s portfolio approach to electrification and commitment to building where we sell,” Toyota said in a news release.

SEMA member companies and automotive enthusiasts have come out in strong opposition to the California Air Resources Board’s (CARB) “Advanced Clean Cars II” (ACC II) regulation that would ban the sale of new internal combustion engine motor vehicles by 2035. Specialty aftermarket businesses and industry supporters sent over 5,000 letters to the U.S. EPA expressing opposition to the agency providing California a Clean Air Act waiver, which is required for ACC II to take effect. Industry and enthusiasts alike have united in opposition to California’s Zero Emissions Vehicle (ZEV) mandate that they said would adversely impact automotive businesses, their employees and millions of automotive enthusiasts.