JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Construction of HOLON’s autonomous vehicle manufacturing plant in Jacksonville’s Northside is expected to generate nearly $300 million for the local economy by 2028 according to a study by the University of North Florida.
Recommended Videos
The planned 500,000-square-foot facility will be Florida’s first automotive vehicle manufacturing plant and will create more than 800 jobs.
Officials said there will be an estimated 736 direct and indirect jobs and at least 150 people will work at the facility.
The sectors expected to benefit from the facility include manufacturing, real estate, healthcare and professional services.
“HOLON’s decision to build this facility here has the potential to be a game-changer for Jacksonville, solidifying our leadership in the autonomous vehicle space and driving growth across multiple sectors,” JAXUSA Partnership President Aundra Wallace said. “This is the type of investment that will have a broad impact across our economy and we look forward to HOLON being a significant part of our business community.”
In September 2024, the company announced its plans to construct its Jacksonville facility.
RELATED: Spot a vehicle without a driver in downtown Jacksonville this week? It’s just a test (for now)
Economic development legislation approved by the Jacksonville City Council in June 2024 cleared the path for the HOLON facility.
One year later, Jacksonville Transportation Authority will launch phase one of the Ultimate Urban Circulator this summer.
The urban circulator program will introduce autonomous vehicles into the JTA transportation system and plans to replace the Skyway and repurpose existing infrastructure into a roadway for autonomous vehicles.
JTA plans to evolve its fleet and use vehicles manufactured by HOLON as they become available.
“At the JTA, we recognized the positive impact of autonomous vehicle technology not only in enhancing mobility, but in creating new economic opportunities for our city and our region,” Nat Ford, CEO of the JTA said. “This research supports this vision and offers a promising look into the future of our city as a destination for innovation in transportation.”
