By Okon Ekpenyong

On Tuesday, February 28, 2023, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and Lieutenant Governor Jon Husted joined Honda Motor and LG Energy Solution officials to announce the new multibillion-dollar facility in Jeffersonville, Ohio, which will manufacture batteries for electric vehicles. Honda and LG Energy Solution are joining Intel to Innovate and invest in Ohio.

The new plant will make waves to produce power sources for Electric Vehicles for other Honda facilities in Ohio. Plans to build the EV battery plant were announced to the Public back in October 2022. The new plant will be in Fayette County, about 42 miles from the Ohio Statehouse.

The new Joint Venture’s CEO Robert Lee said the plant can fit 78 football fields.

Furthermore, the batteries will be capable of powering half a million vehicles per year, according to Lee. JobsOhio, Dayton Development Coalition, One Columbus, and other states, counties, and local officials also partnered to make the project possible and bring it to the county of Fayette.

Engineering Statistics and Jobs prospects

As per the Bureau of Labor Statistics released in May of 2021, Ohio ranked fourth with over 13,650 mechanical engineers working, followed by Michigan, California, Texas, and Pennsylvania. Also, according to the report, a mechanical engineer in Ohio can expect to earn an average hourly wage of $41.82 and an annual salary of 86,980.

The new plant will create over 2,000 jobs, and that’s good for those students studying engineering or computer science at nearby universities, like Cedarville University, Central State University, Wilberforce University, and Wright State University, all 35 miles away, to have such an opportunity to apply.

Intel and Honda/LG Energy Plant is a win for the DeWine-Husted

While they were running for re-election, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and Lieutenant Governor Jon Husted promised that Ohio would continue to be one of the epic manufacturing centers in the Midwest. Their swearing-in ceremony echoed that promise loud and clear, which is why the new electric vehicle battery plant is another milestone victory for the DeWine-Husted Administration.

In 2022, Intel invested over $20 billion in building two new chip factories in Licking County through their efforts and those of other cities and state and federal officials. According to Intel, the facility will meet the growing demand for advanced semiconductors, power a new generation of Intel’s innovative products, and boost production to meet market demand.

Ohio Officials, LG Energy Solution, and Honda officials

The Governor and Lieutenant Governor joined officials from New Joint Venture CEO Robert H. Lee originally from LG Energy and COO Rick Riggle originally from Honda, Toshihiro Mibe, President and CEO of Honda Motor Company; Dong-Myung Kim, President of LG Energy Solutions Advanced Automotive Battery Division; and other officials for yet another groundbreaking ceremony. According to Robert H Lee, CEO of the Joint venture company, they expect to finish building the plant by late 2024.

Completion Date and Cost

The companies hope to start Mass production of advanced lithium-ion battery modules by 2025 for Honda electric vehicles. Using LG Energy’s proprietary battery manufacturing process, Honda has joined forces to form a joint venture to manufacture these batteries for use in Honda and Acura EV models. The facility will cost roughly Around 4.4 billion to build, with most funds coming from New joint ventures.

In addition, Honda plans to invest $700 million in expanding its Marysville Auto Plant in Union County, Anna Engine Plant in Shelby County, and East Liberty Auto Plant in Logan County” to help build the Electric Vehicles. Fayette County’s new battery plant will supply power and batteries to its existing plants.

Honda Presence in Ohio

Once the new EV battery plant is up and running, it will not be the first Honda project in the state. During a meeting with Governor Jim Rhodes, the company executives announced in 1977 that they planned to build a $35 million motorcycle plant in Marysville, Ohio. In October 2022, J.P. Nauseef, JobsOhio president and CEO, stated, “Honda’s new commitment comes after 45 years of collaboration, growth, and success, shaping generational opportunity and investment for Ohioans”.

Over 4.5 million Honda and Acura vehicles have been manufactured at the East Liberty Auto Plant since 1989, according to Honda’s officials. The Marysville plant produced the first Honda Accord on November 1, 1982, and the Anna Engine Plant, which opened in 1985, now makes more than 1 million four-cylinder, V-6, and turbo engines for Honda auto plants throughout North America, according to DeWine’s press release in October of 2022.

Economic prosperity in Fayette County

According to Governor DeWine, the first lady and their daughters recently visited the Destination Outlets mall in Jeffersonville, adding to the area’s economy. Therefore, those working at the plant can shop at the outlet mall, which will also benefit the local economy. “Jeffersonville will also be an agricultural town, but the new plant continues to move towards more diversity, creating more opportunities for the locals,” Governor DeWine said.

Lieutenant Governor Jon Husted stated that he and his wife Tina grew up in rural Ohio and understand what a project like this means to the community and all the residents in the area. And According to Steve, the Jefferson Township trustee, the upcoming plant will help catalyze other innovations and investments in the area.

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