JAMA Spotlight: Centers of Innovation and Design – California and Michigan

California

With 17 R&D and design centers, 3 U.S. headquarters and a manufacturing facility in California, Japanese-brand automakers have a well-established presence and indelible impact on communities across the Golden State.

Click on the cities on the map to view facility information.

Be sure to also read our spotlight stories below. Whether through Honda’s technical demonstration to further sustainability, a Toyota program to address mobility challenges or Mazda’s support to address food security while providing skills to enter the workforce, Japanese-brand automakers are committed to programs that enrich lives in multiple ways.

Sacramento – Toyota Motor North America R&D
San Francisco – Calty Design Research, Inc. (Toyota) R&D
Palo Alto – Toyota Research Institute R&D
Mountain View – Honda Innovations, Inc. R&D & Toyota InfoTechnology Center, U.S.A., Inc. R&D
Silicon Valley – Toyota Motor North America R&D
Santa Clara– Nissan Technical Center North America R&D
San Jose – Honda Research Institute USA, Inc. R&D
Cantil – American Honda Motor Co., Inc., R&D
Torrence – American Honda Motor Co., Inc., U.S. Headquarters & American Honda Motor Co., Inc., R&D
Gardena – Toyota Motor North America R&D
Long Beach -TABC, Inc. (Toyota) Manufacturing
Cypress – Subaru Research and Development, Inc. R&D
Anaheim – Isuzu North America Corporation U.S. Headquarters
Tustin – Subaru Research and Development, Inc. R&D
Irvine – Mazda North American Operations, U.S. Headquarters & Mazda North American Operations, Inc. R&D
Costa Mesa – TRD, U.S.A., Inc. (Toyota) R&D
Newport Beach – Calty Design Research, Inc. (Toyota) R&D
San Diego – Nissan Design America R&D

Spotlight Stories

Honda

Torrance, California - Starting in March 2023, Honda began demonstration testing a stationary fuel cell power station at its Torrance, California campus. This marked the company’s first step toward future commercialization of zero-emission backup power generation. The fuel cell power station supplies emergency backup power to Honda’s data center. Backup power systems utilizing hydrogen fuel cells offer a promising future for clean, reliable and high-quality power generation, especially when operating on “green hydrogen” from renewable sources with water vapor as the only emission.

Mazda

Garden Grove, California - For several years the Mazda Foundation has supported Bracken’s Kitchen and their mission to rescue, repurpose and restore both food and lives by boosting food security, providing culinary training, and nourishing the community . The Mazda Foundation’s funding also supports Bracken’s Kitchen’s Culinary Training Program, which provides at-risk young adults with the introductory skills needed for employment in a professional kitchen.

Toyota

Carson, California - In April 2024, California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH) and Toyota Motor North America (TMNA) launched a multipronged program focused on transportation equity for the university and its surrounding communities based on the idea of “Mobility for All.” The initial phase of the program will establish the Center for Resilient, Equitable, and Sustainable Transportation (CREST) at CSUDH, made possible by a $1.2 million grant from Toyota. CREST will engage faculty and students in research, curriculum building, and paid internships to find solutions to the myriad of mobility challenges faced by members of the university and the wider community.

Michigan boasts 15 R&D and design centers, and the U.S. headquarters of Hino. Japanese-brand automakers have contributed significantly to the state’s timeless automotive legacy and furthered Michigan’s reputation for being an automotive engineering powerhouse.

Click on the cities on the map to view facility information.

Japanese-brand automakers are expanding their investments and moving the state forward in many forms with Toyota’s new automotive battery lab, Honda’s fuel cell joint venture with GM and Nissan’s focus on celebrating cultural diversity in the Detroit area. Be sure to reach our spotlight stories below.

Auburn Hills – Honda Development and Manufacturing LLC
Warren – Honda Development and Manufacturing LLC
Farminton Hills – Nissan Technical Center, North America
Novi – Hino Motors Manufacturing U.S.A., Inc. & R&D and Design Centers U.S. Headquarters
Wixom – Mazda North American Operations, Inc.
Plymouth – Isuzu Technical Center of America, Inc.
Van Buren – Subaru R&D, Inc.
Ann Arbor – Calty Design Research, Inc., Honda Development and Manufacturing LLC, Honda Research Institute, USA, Inc, Mitsubishi Motors R&D of America, Inc., Toyota Motor North America R&D, & Toyota Research Institute
Saline – Toyota Motor North America R&D
York – Toyota Motor North America R&D
Ypsilanti (American Center for Mobility) – Toyota Motor North America R&D

Spotlight Stories

Honda

Brownstown, Michigan - As part of their long-standing partnership, Honda and GM announced the creation of a new fuel cell development joint venture known as the Fuel Cell System Manufacturing LLC. The two companies have been working to develop fuel cell technology since 2013. This recent, positive step forward is part of a renewed investment and the restart of production that was delayed due to the pandemic. This plant officially started its production earlier this year.

Nissan

Detroit, Michigan - Every year, the Nissan Foundation awards a number of grants to nonprofits, libraries, and museums that are working to promote the value of cultural diversity and in 2023, two Detroit area projects were award recipients. One of the awardees was the Detroit Education Television Foundation to produce a program called “Stronger Together: One Detroit, Many Voices,”which explores the history of the city and the other was the Interfaith Leadership Council of Metropolitan Detroit to support a religious diversity education program. All told, the foundation donated more than $100,000 to various organizations around the state of Michigan in an effort to celebrate diverse cultural community perspectives, experiences, and voices.

Toyota

York Township, Michigan - Toyota recently announced a $50 million investment to create a new automotive battery laboratory on the same campus as its R&D headquarters. The lab will be designed to evaluate and certify batteries for battery electric and other electrified vehicles. As part of its evaluation process, the new Michigan battery lab will ensure that Toyota’s batteries meet North American customer requirements by confirming the performance, quality and durability of its automotive batteries. Operations at the new battery lab are expected to begin in 2025.