Automakers are embracing plans for the electric vehicle. What will that mean for Alabama’s auto industry?
Two of the state’s corporate automotive citizens - Mercedes-Benz and Hyundai - have announced ambitious plans in recent months to begin production on electric vehicles.
In March, Mercedes-Benz opened its electric battery company in Bibb County, ahead of production later this year on the EQS SUV and EQE SUV. That’s after Mercedes spent more than $1 billion in the two counties over the last five years getting ready for the move.
The company also announced an ambitious plan to produce only electric vehicles by 2030 - as market forces allow.
Then last week, Hyundai announced it will begin building the Electrified Genesis GV70 and the hybrid version of the Santa Fe in Alabama, the company’s first electric vehicles produced in the U.S. Hyundai will invest $300 million in the move and create 200 jobs in Montgomery.
It’s important to remember with these announcements how radically different the manufacturing process is for electric vehicles, as Mercedes demonstrated for media members last month. The EVs produced on the same line there don’t have the same parts as standard internal combustion engines - such as exhaust, carburetors and transmission. That means a rethinking of the assembly line, design, supply chain, and countless other factors.
But what about Alabama’s other automakers?
While Honda last week announced some of its moves toward electrification, there was nothing specific mentioned about Alabama. The Japanese automaker plans to spend roughly $39.8 billion on electric models, including research and testing.
Honda says it will launch 30 new electric vehicle models, including two SUVs and a mini car, by 2030, eventually producing up to 2 million EVs annually. The company has already spent more than $300 million on developing a lighter, solid state battery that holds a charge longer. Honda has already agreed to source batteries from General Motors but could form another joint venture.
The automaker also plans to make vehicles specific to global markets. For North America, it will introduce two mid- to large-size EV models currently being developed jointly with GM in 2024.
Later in the decade, Honda is planning to introduce “affordable” EVs in 2027 through its GM alliance, with a “cost and range that will be as competitive as gasoline-powered vehicles, starting from North America,” the company said. Honda is planning for a dedicated EV production line also in North America, with location to be determined.
Toyota, unlike other motor companies, has taken a go-slow approach on totally electric vehicles, in spite of its pioneering work with hybrids. Toyota began producing the new Corolla Cross compact SUV exclusively in Huntsville last year at its $2.3 billion plant with Mazda.
Late in 2021, the company promised to release 30 electric vehicles by 2030 and invest $17.6 billion in electric battery technology. Part of that is by building a $1.29 billion battery factory in North Carolina.
But Toyota’s all-electric 2023 BZ4X SUV is set to arrive in dealerships this spring.
The company’s first solely dedicated EV, the BZ4X, assembled in Japan, was engineered in a partnership with Subaru, according to CNN. It has a battery range of up to 252 miles on a charge. Prices start at around $42,000 for a front-wheel-drive model.
Mazda, earlier this year, unveiled some of its plans in Europe, where government mandates on emissions and internal combustion engine vehicles are forcing automakers to play catch up in the EV world.
The Japanese luxury automaker manufactures the CX-50 SUV in Huntsville, which first hit the market this year.
According to Forbes, Mazda plans to have 25% of its global product line as fully electric by 2030, with all models having some form of electrification. Last month, it debuted the 2.5 liter CX-60 plug-in hybrid model.
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April 18, 2022 at 08:00PM
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What are Alabama’s automakers planning for electric vehicles? - AL.com
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