Japan’s automotive giant, Toyota Motor Corporation, has unveiled plans to construct a cutting-edge battery manufacturing plant for electric vehicles (EVs) in Fukuoka, located in the southwestern part of the country. This strategic move aims to bolster its luxury Lexus brand production with a steady supply of advanced batteries, as reported by the Nikkei business daily on Friday.
The world’s leading automaker is set to transform Kyushu, the island where Fukuoka is situated, into a pivotal hub within its supply chain for battery-powered vehicles. The island is envisioned to become an export powerhouse for Toyota’s EV components across Asia, the newspaper highlighted.
While acknowledging the report, a Toyota spokesperson noted that the company has not officially announced these plans. Nevertheless, Toyota is actively pursuing various initiatives to enhance its EV battery production capabilities, the spokesperson added.
Lexus vehicles are currently manufactured at the Miyata plant, operated by Toyota Motor Kyushu, a subsidiary of Toyota. In alignment with its ambitious EV strategy, Toyota had previously announced plans to introduce electric vehicles equipped with next-generation batteries globally from 2026. These vehicles will be produced by BEV Factory, Toyota’s dedicated EV unit.
Toyota has set a target to achieve annual sales of 3.5 million EVs by 2030, with BEV Factory expected to contribute just under half of this figure. Notably, Toyota sold 104,000 EVs in 2023, reflecting its commitment to accelerating its electric transition.
Details regarding the investment amount and construction timeline for the new battery plant remain undisclosed, according to the Nikkei report, which did not specify its sources. The plant will be operated by Primearth EV Energy, another Toyota subsidiary specializing in batteries for hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and purely battery-powered vehicles.