Toyota Mulls Round the Clock EV Battery Production in Aichi Pref.

The Yomiuri Shimbun

16:15 JST, July 7, 2023

Toyota Motor Corp. is considering running two of its domestic factories 24 hours a day, including on Saturdays and Sundays, to produce electric vehicle batteries. Toyota’s factories usually do not run late at night, early in the morning or on holidays, but this exceptional measure is being mulled in anticipation of greater demand for EVs.

When producing automotive batteries, time is required to start and stop the machinery, and interrupting the production process midway can lead to more defects. Continuous operation is seen as essential for quality batteries, which are a core component of EVs.

The 24-hour battery production plan targets Toyota’s Myochi Plant in Miyoshi, Aichi Prefecture, and its Shimoyama Plant, also in the city. Both plants are scheduled to begin battery production by 2026, and discussions with labor unions have already commenced.

Other automotive battery manufacturers have implemented 24-hour operations, and Toyota intends to follow suit.

Toyota aims to boost its global EV sales to about 3.5 million units by 2030, around 140 times the current figure, and the company is expected to accelerate EV production in Japan. Last year, Toyota announced plans to invest up to ¥730 billion in battery production in Japan and the United States. In the U.S., it is constructing a new factory in North Carolina in collaboration with Toyota Tsusho Corp.