Toyota Production in North America Nearly 2 Million in 2017

PLANO, Texas, Jan. 16, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- 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 15^th manufacturing plant with the Jan. 10, 2018, announcement of a joint manufacturing plant with Mazda, scheduled to open in Huntsville, Alabama, in 2021.

Milestones in 2017 include Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Mississippi, which celebrated its 10^th 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.

^{*Includes hybrid engine production
**TMMWV's total 6 speed automatic transmission production for 2017 was 329,962.}

Note: Toyota subsidiaries Bodine Aluminum, Inc., in Tennessee and Missouri, casts aluminum engine blocks, cylinder heads, and engine brackets; Toyota Auto Body California (TABC), Inc., in Long Beach produces stamped/welded parts and steering columns; and Canadian Auto Parts Toyota, Inc. (CAPTIN) in Delta, British Columbia makes aluminum wheels; all produce components in North America but are not included in the annual production figures.

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in the U.S. and North America for 60 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands. During that time, Toyota has created a tremendous value chain as our teams have contributed to world-class design, engineering, and assembly of more than 33 million cars and trucks in North America, where we operate 14 manufacturing plants (10 in the U.S.) and directly employ more than 46,000 people (more than 36,000 in the U.S.). Our 1,800 North American dealerships (nearly 1,500 in the U.S.) sold more than 2.6 million cars and trucks (2.4 million in the U.S.) in 2017 – and about 85 percent of all Toyota vehicles sold over the past 15 years are still on the road today.  

Toyota partners with community, civic, academic, and governmental organizations to address our society's most pressing mobility challenges. We share company resources and extensive know-how to support non-profits to help expand their ability to assist more people move more places. For more information about Toyota, visit www.toyotanewsroom.com. 

For updates, contact:
Toyota Media Line
469.292.5100

SOURCE Toyota Motor North America