Next-Gen Toyota Prius Targeted For Stateside Production In 2015
With a rising yen and forecasted sales of 200,000 units, Toyota is looking to kick Prius production into high gear on North American shores.
The challenge for Toyota appears to be sourcing all the components needed to build hybrid drivetrains in the United States. According to Automotive News
Currently, most of those parts have to come from Japan or South Korea. Initially, they may have to be imported to the future North American Prius plant, but the goal is for a local supply base. Toyota currently builds the Camry Hybrid stateside, but with imported components. Aside from cost factors, a big advantage of a local parts base is for the sake of “resiliency” – any natural disasters in Japan would not affect inventories like the 2011 tsunami/earthquakes did.
Also of note is the North American emphasis on lithium-ion equipped versions of the Prius. While only the plug-in uses a lithium-ion battery, (and base versions will continue to use a Nickel-metal unit), this would suggest that Stateside production would focus on more advanced versions of the Prius, or more plug-in versions. Presumably, the Prius c and “base” versions of the standard car would continue with the less advanced battery.
More by Derek Kreindler
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I know the future is made up of these dreadful things, but does it have to get here so soon?
IIRC, Toyota had plans to build the 3rd-gen Prius in a new Mississippi factory before the economy kerploded in 2008.
I have the Chevy Cruise Eco so I am so green I make Kermit jealous. Now that ordinary gas engines are approaching 40 mpg in the same size car as the Prius, why bother with the complexity of the Hybrid.? My car is fun to drive, a lot of fun. The engine likes to rev, redline is 6500rpm and the turbo gives the 1.4L amazing power., plus nothing on the car says Turbo so I surprise a lot of people looking to blow off what they think is a little econocar. The 6 speed manual is fun to use, and the car is surprisingly quiet. Not a buzzbomb.
"why bother with the complexity of the Hybrid.?" Some people demand more than the lowest common denominator.