MARYSVILLE, OH—Honda Motor Co.’s flagship factory here will be the automaker’s first U.S. facility to transition to making electric vehicles.

The Marysville Auto Plant (MAP) will begin preparing for EV production early next year by consolidating its two production lines currently making vehicles powered by internal combustion engines and hybrid-electric vehicle systems.

Consolidating production to one line will enable MAP to begin building the infrastructure necessary for EV production. Starting later this year, assemblers will begin a training programs designed to prepare them for the skills required for EV production.

Each Honda auto production facility in North America will have a critical role to play in the company’s electrification strategy. For instance, its transmission plant in Tallapoosa, GA, will partner with a Honda supplier to install a new line to build e-axles. The supplier will install, own, and operate the new assembly line in space currently occupied by a transmission production line that is not in operation.