After more than 100 years of incremental evolution, the automotive industry is undergoing a transformation unlike anything it has ever experienced. The driving force behind this revolution is the shift from internal combustion to battery power.

In July 2022, Panasonic announced it would build a new lithium-ion battery plant in DeSoto, Kansas, a small town located right off a major highway. The plant is being built for the rapidly growing electric vehicle market. It's estimated the project will bring 4,000 permanent jobs to the state, and according to Kansas Department of Commerce officials, it is the most significant economic development project in state history. 

Battery manufacturers tend to be conservative in their efforts to maximize production processes and still maintain sustainable assembly costs.

LIBERTY, NC—Toyota will invest an additional $2.5 billion in its newest North American assembly plant, Toyota Battery Manufacturing North Carolina.   

TORRANCE, CA—Honda and South Korean battery maker LG Energy Solution will spend $4.4 billion to build a new battery assembly plant in the United States as the Japanese carmaker seeks to phase out fossil-fuel vehicles completely by 2040.

GHENT, Belgium—Volvo Trucks has opened its first battery assembly plant here.

HERNDON, VA—Volkswagen Group of America Inc. and Redwood Materials Inc. are collaborating to create a supply chain to recycle Volkswagen and Audi electric vehicle batteries in the United States.

At the Hannover Messe virtual trade show in April, Festo showcased a modular assembly system for EV battery modules and battery packs.

BUCKEYE, AZ—Kore Power Inc. is building a $500 million assembly plant here to produce lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicle charging stations, microgrids, utilities and other applications.