The FINANCIAL — In 2017, Toyota built 1,983,723 vehicles at its North American vehicle assembly plants. Production volume was down slightly from the previous year total of 2,124,608 vehicles.
Toyota’s total vehicle production in North America since 1986 has reached nearly 32 million. Key drivers of this year’s production include low fuel prices, continued stability in the overall economy and strong customer demand for trucks and SUVs.
“Every part and every vehicle that rolls off the line reflects our commitment to safety, quality, value, and, above all, our passion for exceeding customer expectations,” said Jim Lentz, CEO of Toyota Motor North America (TMNA). “Our ongoing success is due to the hard work and dedication of team members at our 14 manufacturing plants in North America.”
Toyota will be adding its 15th manufacturing plant with the Jan. 10, 2018, announcement of a joint manufacturing plant with Mazda, scheduled to open in Huntsville, Alabama, in 2021, according to Toyota.
Milestones in 2017 include Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Mississippi, which celebrated its 10th anniversary of production with the line-off of the 1 millionth Corolla.
Earlier this year, Toyota announced a $1.33 billion investment at Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Kentucky (TMMK) for Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA) improvements and other makeovers that will modernize and streamline the production process.
Toyota also made a $373.8 million investment in five U.S. manufacturing plants that will support production of its first American-made hybrid powertrain and to implement TNGA at its Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Alabama, (TMMAL) plant. The investments include:
Production of hybrid transaxles at Toyota Motor Manufacturing, West Virginia, ($115.3M)
Expansion of 2.5-liter engine capacity at TMMK ($120.96M)
Increased production of 2.5-liter engine blocks at Bodine’s Troy, Missouri, plant ($17.05M)
Production of hybrid transaxle cases and housing, 2.5-liter engine blocks at Bodine’s Jackson, Tennessee, facility ($14.5M)
Comprehensive upgrade at TMMAL to enable it to build engines that complement TNGA ($106M)
Toyota produces 13 models in North America including: Avalon, Camry, Corolla, Highlander, RAV4, Sequoia, Sienna, Tacoma, Tundra, Lexus RX 350, Lexus ES 350, Yaris and Yaris iA. Toyota directly employs more than 46,500 people.
