Hitachi Automotive Systems is establishing its new electric vehicle motor company in Kentucky.
Hitachi’s new subsidiary, Hitachi Automotive Electric Motor Systems, will develop, manufacture and sell EV motors at Hitachi’s facilities in Berea, Ky., the Japanese supplier announced Friday.
The company expects to start full production in 2022, depending on the impact of COVID-19.
A part of the existing Hitachi building will be renovated for the new company, partitioning a room then creating new EV motor manufacturing lines, according to a statement to Automotive News.
Hitachi expects to have about 200 employees working on EV motors there by 2023. The company will supply Honda for the foreseeable future, the statement said.
Shingo Nakamura will be president of the new company. Nakamura transferred to Hitachi Automotive Systems Americas in March after being general manager of the global business division and manager of the U.S. business promotion department for Hitachi Automotive Electric Motor Systems.
Hitachi Automotive ranked No. 34 on the Automotive News list of the top 100 global suppliers, with worldwide sales to automakers of $7.46 billion in 2019.