Toyota Shuffling U.S. Production to Make Room for Prius
America can't get enough of the Prius. To meet demand, Toyota will begin building the gas – electric four-door in the U.S. in late 2010 (yes, at the same time the Volt is supposed to debut). ToMoCo'll use the plant they're building in Blue Springs, Mississippi– originally destined for Highlander production. Highlanders are moving to the Princeton, Indiana plant starting in late '09. To make room for the Highlander, they'll shift Indiana Tundra production to San Antonio, consolidating Tundra production in Spring 2009. But before they do that, they'll shut down all Tundra production from August 8 until early November (lagging sales). Toyota says they'll continue to provide work for the non-union "team members" at both facilities, as well as those working at the Huntsville, Ala. plant that builds Tundra and Sequoia engines.
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I'm somewhat surprised that the San Antonio plant was intentionally designed to produce BOF vehicles only. Isn't Toyota the company that has a brace of mystics and psychics telling them what oil markets and public perception are going to do a few years before they happen?
Hmm. I expected something similar, but I expected the Prius to go to NUMMI in California, moving the Tacoma to their Mexican plant only. I thought Arnie was trying to talk them into doing that; I guess he failed. Maybe they didn't want GM to get any info about it's production. The Mississippi plant should have significant production capability (more so than NUMMI); I would not expect any shortages of Priuses after it comes on line. I'm also kind of surprised that the Sequoia isn't moving to Texas with the Tundra.
Quasimondo show me a post where I dissed GM or Ford or Chrysler due to the jobs bank.