GREENSBORO, N.C. — Thousands more jobs could be coming to the Toyota battery manufacturing plant - set to be built on the Greensboro-Randolph megasite.
North Carolina state lawmakers confirmed on Wednesday that a line in the 200-page state budget earmarking $225 million for a $4.7 billion investment and 5,000 jobs is for the future Toyota site.
When Toyota first announced it was coming to the Triad, the company promised the $1.7 billion electric battery plant would bring 1,750 jobs with it.
The plant will make lithium-ion batteries for 200,000 cars with plans to eventually make more than 1.2 million battery packs per year.
Now, state lawmakers want to shell out more money to the company, so it can more than triple the number of jobs. The state wants to set aside $225 million for Toyota if it creates at least 5,000 jobs by the end of 2034.
WFMY News 2 reached out to Toyota about the state's budget proposal. A company representative said they are always studying the competitiveness of their sites, but they didn't have anything to announce right now.
We reached out to three Triad lawmakers who all confirmed the funds are for Toyota if the company chooses to expand its operations at the megasite. Lawmakers also said the money could be used for overruns due to inflation or unexpected difficulties with construction.
Groundwork for the Toyota plant has already begun at the site. The plant is expected to open in 2025. Toyota will begin hiring production team members in 2023.