Saline, Michigan – October 11, 2026 -- Toyota has opened the Toyota Battery Center of North America (TBC), a 30,000-square-foot development and evaluation facility in Saline, Michigan, giving its Michigan-based battery teams expanded capabilities across the full battery-development cycle.
The center covers every stage from raw-material sourcing through customer applications to recycling. Toyota describes it as the next chapter of its electrification transformation.
TBC will evaluate batteries for Toyota's North Carolina plant and North American vehicle factories
The facility acts as a central hub for development and evaluation, working with Toyota's North American manufacturing network. It will support battery evaluation for Toyota Battery Manufacturing, North Carolina, as well as Toyota's vehicle manufacturing plants across North America.
Keita Moritsu, Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer of Toyota Motor North America R&D, said the center extends Toyota's battery-development leadership to North America.
Engineers will develop batteries for hybrid, plug-in hybrid, hydrogen and fully electric vehicles
On-site engineers and technicians will assess battery performance and develop new technologies across four powertrain types: hybrid, plug-in hybrid, hydrogen and fully electric. The capabilities support Toyota's multi-pathway strategy.
Jordan Choby, Group Vice President of Powertrain, said the facility will let engineers detect and resolve field concerns faster and closer to the source. He added that Toyota can develop longer-lasting batteries built for the conditions American drivers face daily.
Toyota opens testing access to University of Michigan Electric Vehicle Center partners
Toyota will open the facility and research access through the University of Michigan Electric Vehicle Center, so other research partners can use its testing and evaluation capabilities. Toyota is a founding member of the center. The program is intended to develop the next generation of battery engineers and technicians in Michigan.
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer welcomed the investment, saying it strengthens the state's position in advanced automotive manufacturing. The opening adds to Toyota's more than 50-year history in Michigan.