Honda Research Institute expands Ohio R&D with $2.6 million investment
Honda Research Institute USA (HRI-US) has invested $2.6 million to expand its advanced research presence in Ohio, including the establishment of a new Advanced Materials Science Lab.
The new HRI lab will be located on The Ohio State University (OSU) SciTech Campus in Columbus and is scheduled to open in Q4 of this year. It will support collaborative research and data-driven innovation for future Honda technologies, according to a press release from the OEM.
There will be a continued focus at the lab on areas of HRI research, such as quantum technologies and other nanotechnologies, hydrogen fuel cells, carbon capture technologies, next-generation EV batteries, and battery recycling.
In 2018, Honda established its 99P Labs on the OSU SciTech campus, which is now part of HRI-US. 99P Labs conducts collaborative advanced research into energy and battery technologies, mobility-related human-computer interaction, and software-defined mobility, the release says.
The long-standing partnership between Honda and Ohio State began in 1987, when Honda purchased the Transportation Research Center near its production facilities in the state. The original $6 million purchase was dedicated to establishing a transportation research endowment fund in the OSU College of Engineering, the release says. The fund now surpasses $50 million in endowments, and Honda endows six College of Engineering faculty chairs.
In 2023, Honda announced a $15 million investment as the lead foundational partner in The Ohio State Battery Cell R&D Center, which is also located on the SciTech campus. It includes broader Ohio initiatives, such as the Honda EV Hub, which establishes flexible manufacturing capabilities to produce ICE, hybrid electric, and battery electric vehicles on the same production lines.
Today, Honda operates five manufacturing plants in Ohio, with the capacity to produce 460,000 Honda and Acura automobiles, as well as 1.18 million automobile engines, over 1 million automobile transmissions, EV battery packs, and two-motor hybrid systems. The plants use domestically and globally sourced parts.
Images
Featured image: The 99P Labs, located on the OSU SciTech campus near where the new HRI facility will be. (Provided by Honda)