Toyota to build nearly $50M automotive battery testing lab in Washtenaw County

Speakers from Toyota North America's announcement at its North American R&D headquarters at 8777 S. Platt Road in York Township

WASHTENAW COUNTY, MI -- Toyota is expanding its operations in Washtenaw County with the creation of a new nearly $50 million battery testing lab.

Toyota Motor North America, Inc. announced Thursday, June 8, it will be investing $47.7 million into creating a new lab facility at its North American R&D headquarters at 8777 S. Platt Road in York Township. The new addition will give the company space to evaluate batteries for its electric and electrified vehicles in North America.

The new lab is expected to open in 2025 and will focus on ensuring the company's batteries check all of the the boxes for performance, quality and durability.

Toyota Motor North America's Communications Manager Rick Bourgoise said the facility is planning to use existing employees to staff the new facility at this time.

"Here at Toyota, we believe the future is electrified," Jordan Choby, Toyota North America's vice president of powertrain controls and calibration, said. "Toyota is moving full speed ahead with our electrification strategy including the acceleration of battery electric vehicles.

"Our focus is to support development and safely test battery cells, modules and packs manufactured in North America, including locally sourced materials and local supplier parts."

Along with the lab's work, Choby said engineers and technicians also will have the chance to experiment with new cell and battery designs.

The facility is also expecting to evaluate other aspects for both current and future batteries including how they may react using level two and three charging as well as connectivity to power sources and infrastructure.

Along with the announcement of the new lab, Toyota also launched a "Driving Possibilities" initiative with plans to create a STEM institute at Eastern Michigan University for Ypsilanti Community Schools and Lincoln Consolidated Schools. The company chose Michigan to be the first state to kickstart these efforts.

Leaders for Toyota North America were joined by U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Ann Arbor, and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer during this announcement.

Dingell said the expansion is an example of what the state needs to continue to stay at the forefront "in the world on mobility," while meeting climate goals.

"Michigan put the world on wheels and now we’re driving the future of mobility, and the future of mobility is electric," Dingell said.

"This investment (is) ... going to support the research that's going to keep America at the forefront of innovation and technology," she added. "These investments will help ensure that the jobs and this technology are here to stay."

Whitmer echoed Dingell's sentiments, thanking Toyota for "placing this bet on Michigan."

"Our future is bright," Whitmer said. "We are leading in the race with batteries and electric vehicles. We’re bringing jobs and supply chains home from overseas and we’re revitalizing communities all across our great state and we’re just getting started."

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