According to Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, Japan-based Envision AESC has plans to build a manufacturing plant for electric vehicle battery production in Bowling Green. Envision AESC will reportedly invest $2 billion into the project, and the plant expects to employ 2,000 people. The batteries produced at the factory will be used in vehicles for various automakers.
Envision AESC’s CEO Shoichi Matsumoto stated, “This major investment builds on our commitment to the U.S. market, supports growth of the electrification supply chain and secures high value jobs for future generations in the region.” He added that his company aims to produce “high-performance, longer-range batteries for a diverse range of automotive manufacturers worldwide to support the EV transition.”
Speaking to reporters and other state officials Wednesday, Beshear said, “With today’s announcement, we solidify that the commonwealth of Kentucky is the undisputed electric battery production capital of the United States of America.” Ford and SK Innovation previously announced plans to build two battery manufacturing plants in Glendale, Kentucky, that will employ 5,000 people and cost almost $6 billion.
Bowling Green Mayor Todd Alcott stated, “The scale of this project is like nothing our community has ever seen before.” Envision AESC currently employs around 4,000 people and has ten manufacturing plants throughout Japan, China, France, the United Kingdom, and the United States. It is also hoping to build new gigafactories in France and the United Kingdom in the coming years.
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