The new center provides Toyota’s regional engineering teams with advanced capabilities to manage battery lifecycles, ranging from raw material procurement to end-of-life recycling. By centralizing these operations, the company intends to accelerate the resolution of field performance issues and tailor battery longevity to the specific driving conditions encountered by American consumers.
Keita Moritsu, Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at Toyota Motor North America R&D, described the facility as the cornerstone of the company’s expanded North American battery strategy. Beyond internal R&D, the site will serve as a collaborative space for the University of Michigan Electric Vehicle Center, fostering a pipeline for regional engineering talent. Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer noted that the investment reinforces the state’s role in the advanced manufacturing supply chain, supporting a multi-pathway approach to sustainable mobility. The center will work in tandem with Toyota’s manufacturing site in North Carolina and various vehicle assembly plants to integrate new battery technologies into the North American fleet.
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