Toyota opened a new battery development center in Saline, Michigan, on October 1, 2026. The Toyota Battery Center of North America is intended to support battery development and testing for various vehicle powertrains.
The approximately 30,000-square-foot facility is located on Toyota’s research and development campus. It centralizes the evaluation of battery technologies and works with the company’s North American manufacturing network. This includes Toyota Battery Manufacturing in North Carolina and Toyota’s vehicle manufacturing plants across North America.
Battery Testing for Different Powertrains
According to the company, the center covers the entire development cycle, from sourcing raw materials to vehicle applications and recycling. Engineers and technicians will characterize batteries and develop new technologies at the facility.
Toyota identifies hybrid, plug-in hybrid, hydrogen-powered, and fully electric vehicles as potential applications. The center therefore supports the automaker’s approach of pursuing several powertrain technologies in parallel.
Research Access for the University of Michigan
Toyota plans to open access to the facility and its research capabilities in collaboration with the University of Michigan’s Electric Vehicle Center. Other research partners will also be able to use its testing and evaluation capabilities.
Toyota is a founding member of the Electric Vehicle Center. The collaboration is also intended to support the training of future battery engineers and technicians in Michigan.
Source:
https://pressroom.toyota.com/toyota-battery-center-of-north-america-unveiled-at-michigan-rd-campus/
