In what Gov. Andy Beshear called an “enormous” economic development announcement for Kentucky, Toyota plans to establish its first electric car manufacturing facility in the United States at its plant in Scott County.
The Georgetown factory, which has manufactured millions of cars since 1988, plans to retain nearly 9,000 employees to manufacture electric SUVs as a part of $591 million in investments at the facility.
“We know that that plant will be part of our automotive landscape here in Kentucky and the United States, in the world for decades to come,” Beshear said during a Wednesday press conference. “We love every jobs announcement, but one that we know secures a plant this size for the decades to come is a truly exciting one.”
The Georgetown plant is the Japanese automaker’s largest production facility in the world. The plant will source car batteries from another Toyota plant in North Carolina.
In a statement, Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky President Susan Elkington said the company is “leading the charge” with electric vehicles.
“Our incredible team of Kentuckians is excited to take on this new challenge while delivering the same great quality and reliability that our customers expect,” Elkington said.
Ted Ogawa, president and chief executive officer of Toyota Motor North America, said: “We are committed to reducing carbon emissions as much as possible and as soon as possible. To achieve this goal, customers must have access to a portfolio of options that meet their needs now and in the future. It is exciting to see our largest U.S. plant, Toyota Kentucky, and our newest plant, Toyota North Carolina, drive us into the future together with BEV and battery production for our expanding electrified lineup.”
In 2021, Ford announced it was investing $5.8 billion to build an electric car battery manufacturing plant in Hardin County, and other companies plan to build factories in Western Kentucky that manufacture key parts for electric vehicles.
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Liam Niemeyer covers government and policy in Kentucky and its impacts throughout the Commonwealth for the Kentucky Lantern. He most recently spent four years reporting award-winning stories for WKMS Public Radio in Murray.
