AISIN Corporation, the fifth-largest Tier 1 auto supplier in the world, announced today that it will launch two new production lines with a total anticipated investment of more than $200 million at its AISIN North Carolina Corporation (ANC) facility in Durham, North Carolina. The new lines will incorporate a high level of automation and support the production of two-motor hybrid transmissions for automakers.

The current Aisin two-motor Multi Stage Hybrid Transmission is used in the LC500h and the LS500h.

The new production of two-motor hybrid transmission systems strengthens the company’s electrification efforts in North America.

The company’s first big milestone on the new lines will be completing a trial by the end of the year. Anticipated start-of-production for transmissions is April 2025, with volumes slated for approximately 30,000 per month.

In addition to implementing the new lines and capital equipment, the investment has created the opportunity to better streamline the Durham plant, enabling better flow of materials and resources across its footprint.

Beyond manufacturing a product that enables more eco-friendly transportation, the new lines will help reduce the facility’s carbon footprint through equipment that requires the use of less air. Additionally, new LED high-bay lighting, controlled by Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, will be installed to reduce energy use. The introduction of energy monitoring tools as well as HVAC upgrades are also in the works.

To complement its hybrid transmission work, ANC team members will undergo a two-week electrification training program. There are no plans for additional personnel at the location, which currently employs approximately 2,000 team members.

AISIN North Carolina Corporation was established as AW North Carolina, Inc. in 1998 to produce automatic transmissions for passenger cars and trucks and was AISIN Corporation’s first transmission plant located in North America. Today, ANC employs nearly two thousand team members and supplies automatic transmissions and related powertrain components to Toyota Motor North America and AISIN’s newest transmission facility, AISIN Texas Corporation, established in 2021 in Cibolo, Texas.