Honda plans to invest $3 billion in a new auto plant in Central Ohio, a move the company says will create more than 2,000 jobs and raise its U.S. auto production capacity to about 1.3 million vehicles a year. The plant is expected to begin production in 2029, pending final government approvals.
The new facility will be built on land between Honda’s existing East Liberty and Marysville auto plants. It will be Honda’s fourth auto plant in Ohio and its ninth auto-related production facility in the United States. With a planned capacity of 240,000 vehicles a year, it will be able to build hybrid and gasoline-powered vehicles, as well as battery-electric vehicles. Honda says the plant will use automation, data-driven technology and flexible production systems, allowing it to adjust output as demand and market conditions change.
Investments Across Ohio, Alabama and Georgia
The Ohio plant is part of a wider set of projects across Honda’s North American network, all aimed at increasing hybrid production. Key projects include:
- Ohio engine and transmission plants: The Anna Engine Plant, the largest Honda engine plant in the world, is retooling a line to produce a next-generation four-cylinder Atkinson-cycle engine for compact and midsize vehicles. The Transmission Plant-Ohio is being converted to produce two next-generation hybrid systems, which the company says will raise hybrid system capacity by 250 percent in the coming years.
- Alabama auto plant: The Alabama Auto Plant is being upgraded to produce a new V6 hybrid engine. Its Line 1 will be renovated so it can build the Passport, which is currently made only on Line 2.
- Georgia transmission plant: The Transmission Plant-Georgia will begin producing next-generation hybrid systems for larger vehicles in the coming years.
- Canada: Honda of Canada Mfg. in Alliston, Ontario, will update its production operations to support next-generation hybrid and gasoline-powered models, including the return of engine manufacturing.
Honda also has several new models under development at its U.S. research and development operations in California and Ohio.
Company and Government Response
Bob Nelson, executive vice president of American Honda Motor Co., Inc., said the investments reflect a significant long-term commitment. “As Honda approaches 50 years of building products close to our customers in America, we are making one of the most significant commitments in our history to position Honda for the next 50 years,” Nelson said.
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine welcomed the announcement, saying Honda “could have chosen to build this plant anywhere in the world, but they chose Ohio because there are so many advantages to being here.”
Honda said Ohio was chosen for several reasons, including a skilled workforce, proximity to much of its U.S. supplier base, nearby vehicle development centres and an existing battery joint venture that can produce cells for hybrid and electric vehicles. The company also cited its investment of $132 million in research facilities and endowed chairs at The Ohio State University.
Honda’s Broader North American Footprint
Honda has manufactured vehicles in North America for nearly 50 years, beginning with production at the Marysville Auto Plant in Ohio in 1982. In 2025, nearly 99 percent of the Honda and Acura vehicles sold in the United States were made in North America. The company employs about 33,000 people across 18 plants in the region and says it has invested more than $28 billion in its North American manufacturing since 1982, including more than $3.1 billion over the past five years.
