In 1982, Honda opened a new assembly plant in Marysville, OH, becoming the first Japanese automaker to operate a factory in the U.S. Now, big changes are coming to this historic plant.

Smaller plants may be the future of EV manufacturing.

STUTTGART—Engineers at Porsche AG and Alumobility recently developed an aluminum “top hat” that weighs 40 percent less than its steel counterpart.

SOUTH BURLINGTON, VT—Beta Technologies, a manufacturer of electric airplanes, has begun hiring personnel to ramp up production at its assembly plant here, which opened last October.

SPRING HILL, TN—LG Energy Solution has delivered the first battery cells produced at the Ultium Cells’ assembly plant here. The cells will be used in General Motors’ third-generation electric vehicles, including the Cadillac Lyriq.

Tesla Inc.’s highly anticipated Cybertruck features a modular wiring system that reduces weight and complexity.

PRINCETON, IN—Toyota will invest $1.4 billion in its assembly plant here to build a new, three-row, battery-electric SUV. The project is expected to add 340 new jobs at the factory.

To meet safe launch for an automotive component, a Michigan company had to manufacture 4,000 assemblies with zero defects. MES software helped the company do it.

ANAHEIM, CA—The Autopia ride at Disneyland plans to switch from gas to battery power in 2026.

BERLIN—Engineers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration are developing an inverter that can work at a lower operating temperature.