Toyota Expanding Lexus Production In Ontario
GM may not be announcing expanded production at Oshawa, but a few hundred miles down the 401, Toyota is ramping up production of the Lexus RX at their Cambridge, Ontario plant.
According to The Globe and Mail, Toyota will spend $100 million on upgrading the plant, while adding 400 additional jobs. The plant will also build the RX450h hybrid for the first time, allowing Toyota to source the hybrids from an alternative location beyond Japan. Of the estimated 104,000 vehicles that will be produced starting in 2014, 15,000 of those will be hybrids.
This won’t be an isolated development either. Toyota got caught flat-footed during the tsunami, when its hybrid production was crippled. Honda is already bringing their hybrid production to Indiana, and Nissan will be producing the Leaf stateside. And it’s only going to increase over time.
More by Derek Kreindler
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The Japanese Auto Industry continues to be hollowed out. The “Empty Hall” as they say in Japan, is continuing with manufacturers.
Save us Gamma-Ra!! I rather doubt this vehicle will be used to haul the dedicated Dead Fish Cooler and a big wet smelly dog. I can afford a luxury SUV but I use my SUV as a 4 door truck. I still walk in to the fishing spot/ bird hunting field. Wait! Now if they made an Orvis or Barbour edition....
Don't know what kind of GPS or map you're using, but Cambridge ON is less than a hundred miles from Oshawa ON.
I would expect production of the ES at the least to move to North America within the next 2-3 years.