EV Batteries Fuel U.S., Global Automotive Project Spending

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Written by Will Ploch, Assistant Editor-in-Chief for IIR News Intelligence (Sugar Land, Texas)

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Summary

Investment in EV batteries accounts for a significant share of activity in the global automotive industry, exceeding investment even in vehicle bodies. The U.S. remains an overall investment leader, while Toyota is expected to spend the most on maintenance.

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Battery Storage Leads the Way

The demand for electric vehicles (EVs) and their components continue to drive a significant share of the global automotive industry. According to Industrial Info Resources data, storage-battery manufacturing accounts for about 38% of investment in the global automotive industry, with actual vehicle bodies trailing at about 32%. The trend is apparent in the U.S., where the storage-battery sector makes up about 50% of active or proposed spending.

Industrial Info Resources is tracking roughly 5,000 active and proposed projects in the global automotive industry, totaling more than US$440 billion of investment; the U.S. accounts for more than 1,000 projects, totaling more than US$105 billion. Despite a recent shift in U.S.-based battery manufacturing from EVs toward energy-storage batteries for power grids, about 80% of the roughly US$52 billion in U.S. EV-battery projects has a high probability (81% or more) of beginning construction as scheduled.

Among the EV-battery projects in development is Rivian Automotive Incorporated's Project Tera facility in Social Circle, Georgia. With the support of the Georgia Department of Economic Development and the U.S. Department of Energy, the company started site preparation for the 12-building complex earlier this year. Rivian plans to produce about 200,000 EVs annually at the facility.

Industrial Info Resources offers more information on Project Tera in its Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Industrial Manufacturing Plant and Project databases, where readers can find details--including construction schedules, investment values and necessary equipment--in a plant profile and project report.

Projects already under construction include Tesla Incorporated's expansion of its Gigafactory in Sparks, Nevada, which is set to be fully operational in coming months. The two-building addition, which also will produce high-volume semi-trucks, kicked off toward the end of 2023. More information can be found in a detailed plant profile and project report.

Readers can learn more about the ever-changing fortunes of the U.S. EV market in the Industrial Info Resources May 15, 2026, article - U.S. Consumers Mull EVs Amid Higher Gasoline Prices, and May 6, 2026, article - Projects Under Construction Lead U.S. to $45 Billion Worth of Battery-Manufacturing Investments.

By the Numbers

• About 5,000: Active and proposed projects in the global automotive industry tracked by Industrial Info Resources
• More than US$105 billion: U.S.-based investment in active and proposed automotive projects
• Toyota is planning about US$64 million of maintenance through 2028, the most of any company

'Bodies' Pile Up, as Toyota Leads Maintenance

Nearly half of the U.S.-based investments in both EVs and gasoline-powered vehicle bodies are estimated to begin construction as scheduled, according to Industrial Info Resources data. Among those set to be completed later this year is Scout Motors Incorporated's EV plant in Blythewood, South Carolina, which is designed to produce about 200,000 next-generation pickup trucks and SUVs. Scout, which is owned by Volkswagen AG, expects EVs from the facility to be more affordable when compared with similar models. Readers can learn more from a plant profile and project report.

General Motors Corporation (GM) is among the manufacturers boosting production for its gasoline-fuels vehicles, with an expansion at its plant in Lake Orion, Michigan, set to wrap up next year. The output covers GM's full-size SUVs and light-duty pickup trucks. More details can be found in a plant profile and project report.

The U.S. also leads the world in maintenance-related projects set to kick off at automotive plants over the coming two years, with Toyota Motor Corporation accounting for the most of any single company, either within the U.S. or globally. The U.S. accounts for about half of Toyota's projected US$64 million of maintenance through 2028; readers can learn more about Toyota's maintenance plans from a detailed list of project reports.

The Industrial Info Resources GMI Project and Plant databases offer a full list of detailed reports for projects mentioned in this article, and a full list of related plant profiles.

Industrial Info Resources also offers full lists of reports for projects in the global automotive industry and U.S.-based projects specifically.

Key Takeaways

• Storage-battery manufacturing accounts for about 38% of active and proposed investment in the global automotive industry.
• Nearly half of the U.S.-based investments in vehicle-body manufacturing are estimated to begin construction as scheduled.
• Toyota leads both the U.S. and the world in maintenance-related projects set to kick off in the coming two years.

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About Industrial Info Resources
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news, and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing, and energy-related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified, and verified plant and project opportunities. Across the world, Industrial Info Resources is tracking over 250,000 current and future projects worth $30.2 trillion (USD).