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Honda to build $3 5 billion EV battery plant in Ohio

Bob Nelson, executive vice president of American Honda Motor Co., announces the automaker's plans at the Ohio Statehouse yesterday. Photo: Samantha Hendrickson/AP Ohio is poised to become Honda's North American electric vehicle hub. Driving the news: A new $3.5 billion EV battery factory is coming to Jeffersonville, about 40 miles southwest of Columbus, the automaker . Why it matters: The investment is another big win for the state's future as a technology-focused "," with Central Ohio at its center.Intel on a semiconductor factory in Licking County last month and supercar manufacturer to the West Side. By the numbers: The new Fayette County plant is expected to employ 2,200 workers. Honda also plans to invest $700 million in its three existing Ohio plants to prepare them to start making EVs and components.The three plants — in Marysville, East Liberty and Anna — will add another 327 jobs to their current 8,300. Catch up quick: Honda, which is building the new factory along with South Korean battery maker LG Energy Solution, announced that partnership in August but didn't specify where the plant would be built.But speculation ramped up after a plant was coming to Ohio and Gov. Mike DeWine and Lt. Gov. Jon Husted . The big picture: Honda's news follows waves of U.S. battery and EV assembly plant announcements as automakers try to re-establish a domestic supply chain, .The new federal Inflation Reduction Act gives them more incentives to build here, including a tax credit for consumers buying an EV with a battery procured and built in North America.Building near Central Ohio offers close proximity to resources, labor and existing plants, American Honda Motor Co. executive vice-president Bob Nelson . Flashback: Exactly 45 years ago yesterday, Honda announced it would begin manufacturing products in the U.S. at its Marysville plant, which opened in 1979. What they're saying: "We now face a once-in-a-100-years change from the internal combustion engine to electrification. Once again, this requires a bold vision for the future," Nelson said at the announcement. DeWine called yesterday "a great day for Ohio." What we're watching: An incentive package from the state hasn't been finalized yet. What's next: Construction begins early next year, with mass production of lithium-ion batteries exclusively for Honda vehicles expected to begin by the end of 2025. Get more local stories in your inbox with .Subscribe Support local journalism by becoming a member.

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