Honda Motor Co. said on Wednesday it will build new plants in Japan, the United States and Canada. President and Chief Executive Takeo Fukui said the new U.S. plant would cost $400 million and would start operating in 2008. It would have a capacity of 200,000 units and a work force of more than 1,500.
He said he could not yet disclose its location.
Honda will also build a new 200,000 unit per year engine plant in Canada for $140 million, to start production in 2008. It will employ about 340 workers and will be located near an existing plant in Ontario.
Fukui told a mid-year news conference the new car assembly plant in Japan will start operating in 2010 with an annual capacity of 200,000 units.
The plant, in Saitama, near Tokyo, will have 2,200 workers and will raise its capacity in Japan to 1.5 million units a year from 1.3 million.
He also said Honda would sell a new, low-cost hybrid car in 2009. It targets annual sales of 200,000 units of the family-use hybrid.