Another gear in the cog to advance the Electrified future. Wayne Gerdes – CleanMPG – June 9, 2023 2023 Toyota Prius Prime Arguably the "Best" EV on the market with 44-miles on the plug and a total range of 600-miles at 52 mpg in a sharp looking shell. A true standout! Toyota announced it will invest nearly $50 million to construct a new laboratory facility at its North American R&D headquarters in York Township, Mich. to evaluate batteries for electric and electrified vehicles in North America. As part of its evaluation process, the new Michigan battery lab will ensure that Toyota’s batteries meet North American customer requirements by confirming performance, quality and durability of automotive batteries made by Toyota. Operations at the new battery lab are expected to begin in 2025. The Toyota R&D team will work with other North American partner suppliers to incorporate locally-produced battery parts and materials in support of Toyota’s multi-pathway approach to reducing carbon emissions through its portfolio of hybrid, plug-in hybrid, fuel cell and battery electric product offerings. In otherwards, they would like to qualify for the $7,500 Fed Tax Credit as well. Beyond battery development, other lab activities are expected to include evaluations using Level 2 and Level 3 charging as well as connectivity to power sources and infrastructure. Further, chassis dynamometers at both Toyota R&D campuses in York Township and Ann Arbor are being upgraded to accommodate full BEV evaluations. In addition, their research may contribute to Toyota’s development of new EV architectures. Toyota will explore further expansion of the lab’s capabilities and opportunities for supporting the needs of the battery and BEV ecosystem. The new facility will be included in Toyota’s enrollment in DTE Energy’s MIGreenPower program. This voluntary renewable energy program enables all of Toyota’s R&D operations in Michigan to attribute 100% of its electricity use to renewable energy projects starting in 2026. A pioneer in EVs, Toyota has put more than 23 million HEVs, PHEVs, FCVs and BEVs on the road globally. The company currently offers 22 electrified vehicle options in the U.S. across the Toyota and Lexus brands, the most among any automaker. By 2025, the company plans to have an electrified option available for every Toyota and Lexus model globally. Over the last two years, the company has invested more than $8 billion in its U.S. manufacturing operations primarily to support its product electrification efforts. On a global scale, Toyota plans to invest more than $70 billion in vehicle electrification by 2030.