Toyota is rolling out a roughly $1 billion upgrade package for two of its U.S. assembly hubs, sending about $800 million to its sprawling Georgetown, Kentucky complex and another $200 million to a plant in southern Indiana. The cash is aimed at retooling lines for electrified vehicles and conveniently arrives as Georgetown celebrates its 40th anniversary. Local leaders are treating it as both a birthday present and a down payment on the plants’ next generation of models.
The Detroit News reports that the Georgetown share of the spending is tied to Toyota’s coming three-row Highlander EV and that the announcement was timed to the four-decade milestone for the Kentucky site. The outlet notes the split at roughly $800 million for Georgetown and $200 million for the Indiana operation.
Highlander EV To Be Built In Georgetown
In February, Toyota’s U.S. newsroom pulled the wraps off the all-electric 2027 Highlander and confirmed that the three-row EV will be built at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky, with sales expected to kick off in late 2026. The company said batteries for the Highlander will come from its new battery plant in Liberty, North Carolina, which is meant to keep the EV supply chain closer to home. Toyota USA Newsroom laid out the vehicle details and production plans.
Georgetown’s Scale And History
The Georgetown complex, described as Toyota’s largest factory in the world, has produced more than 14 million vehicles since ground was broken in 1986 and now employs roughly 9,800 team members. State officials say it has long served as a cornerstone employer and a key anchor for the region’s supply chain, according to the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development.
Part Of A Larger U.S. Manufacturing Push
Toyota is framing the new outlays as one chapter in a much larger U.S. manufacturing push. In November 2025 the automaker pledged up to $10 billion in additional U.S. investments and celebrated the opening of a $13.9 billion battery plant in Liberty, North Carolina, intended to feed domestic EV production and tighten up the supply chain. Axios and other outlets have reported on the broader commitment and the Liberty battery launch.
Jobs, Retooling And Next Steps
The spending does not automatically translate into big hiring waves. When Toyota unveiled a $1.3 billion overhaul at Georgetown in 2024, the company said it did not plan to add new jobs at that time, according to The Associated Press. Some projects have nudged headcount upward, though: a hybrid-production expansion in late 2025 brought about 82 new positions to the Georgetown complex, according to state economic officials.
Officials say they will release more specifics on construction timelines, permits and how the money is divided between building work and new equipment as the planning firms up. For now, leaders in Kentucky and Indiana are treating Toyota’s billion-dollar move as another vote of confidence in U.S. manufacturing and the region’s workforce.
