Toyota Motor North America announced it plans to invest US$ 912 million in five US manufacturing plants involved in the production of hybrid vehicles and related components, with the automaker looking to expand production capacity to meet growing demand in the region.
The investment is part of the “up to US$ 10 billion”, five-year investment plan confirmed by the company earlier this month in support of Japan’s recent trade negotiations with the US. Toyota said that these “additional” investments will bring the company’s total investment in the US to around US$ 60 billion since it began operations there some 70 years ago.
The plants to receive the investment include:
- Buffalo, West Virginia: engines and transmissions
- Georgetown, Kentucky: Camry, RAV4 Hybrid, and Lexus ES350
- Blue Springs, Mississippi: Corolla
- Jackson, Tennessee: engine blocks, castings
- Troy, Missouri: cylinder heads
The Blue Springs plant, which currently makes the popular Corolla sedan, will add hybrid-electric Corollas to its line-up following the new investment.
Kevin Voelkel, senior vice president of manufacturing operations at Toyota Motor North America, said in a statement: “Customers are embracing Toyota’s hybrid vehicles, and our US manufacturing teams are gearing up to meet that growing demand. Toyota’s philosophy is to build where we sell, and by adding more American jobs and investing across our U.S. footprint, we continue to stay true to that philosophy.”
