North Carolina

After the IRA became law, Toyota increased a planned EV battery plant investment in Liberty, North Carolina, from $1 billion to $13.9 billion. The new EV megasite is a boon to the area, bringing thousands of high-paying jobs to the region. The plant itself is expected to bring more than 5,000 jobs to the town, and an anticipated 100,000 new residents to the region. 

To address the need for the necessary workforce, colleges in the area, such as Guilford Technical Community College and Randolph Community College, will train students as pre-hires for the plant. Following Toyota’s investment, additional companies are relocating to the area, bringing up to 16,000 new jobs within a 30-minute commute. In addition to sustainable jobs in the clean energy sector, many of the new jobs come with much higher average salaries than previous opportunities in the area. 

The plant “represents generational wealth to families that haven’t had it before,” said Linda Brown, the former president of the Asheboro/Randolph Chamber of Commerce. The plant is expected to begin production in 2025.