Detroit News: Honda to invest $4B in Ohio for battery production
UC College of Engineering and Applied Science dean explains significance of move
The Detroit News turned to a University of Cincinnati engineering expert to explain what a new battery manufacturing plant means for automakers and Ohio.
UC College of Engineering and Applied Science Dean John Weidner said the $3.5 billion battery plant Honda Motor Co. announced this week it will build in southwest Ohio is needed to help the automaker meet its goal of converting at least half of its production to electric in 10 years.
UC College of Engineering and Applied Science Dean John Weidner is an expert in renewable energy applications.
Honda also announced it will invest $700 million retooling its three Ohio plants to manufacture electric vehicles.
“I’ve been in this business for 30 years. It seemed like electric vehicles were always 5 years away,” Weidner said. “Now they really are taking off.”
Weidner is a chemical engineer who studies renewable-energy applications such as the latest generation of batteries used in electric vehicles. He was honored by the Electrochemical Society in 2019 with the prestigious Carl Wagner Memorial Award for his electrochemical research, including his work with General Motors Co. to improve electric vehicle performance.
Weidner also spoke to WCPO anchor Evan Millward about the impact the new battery plant will have on Ohio's economy.
Honda plans to hire an estimated 2,200 workers for the new manufacturing plant. Weidner told WCPO that this will create new opportunities for recent graduates not just in engineering but in many unrelated fields.
Featured image at top: UC College of Engineering and Applied Science Dean John Weidner talks to WCPO's Evan Millward about Honda's announcement that it is building a $3.5 billion battery manufacturing plant in Ohio.
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