Japanese automaker Toyota has announced plans to invest $328 million to produce a new hybrid model of its popular Tacoma pickup truck in Mexico. The company intends to expand its existing factory in Guanajuato, a central Mexican city, where it already manufactures the Tacoma truck line for the North American market.
Toyota is investing $328 million in Mexico to manufacture hybrid pickups.
Diego Sinhue Rodriguez Vallejo, the governor of the Mexican state of Guanajuato, revealed the investment details on Twitter after meeting with Toyota officials during a recent visit to Japan. The investment will be used to adapt the production lines in the Guanajuato plant to manufacture the new generation of Tacoma trucks specifically designed for the North American market. These new models will be hybrid electric vehicles.
Luis Lozano, president of Toyota Mexico, expressed excitement about the role the Guanajuato plant will play in Toyota's manufacturing operations in North America, stating, "We will start preparing the new generation of Tacomas in Guanajuato, and we are very, very excited that this plant is going to play a very important role in Toyota's manufacturing in North America."
The expansion of the Guanajuato factory is expected to create an additional 2,500 jobs, adding to the current workforce of around 1,700 employees. Production of the Tacoma hybrid is scheduled to begin by the end of the year.
Toyota's Guanajuato plant, which opened in December 2019, has the capacity to produce up to 100,000 Tacomas annually. Over the past three years, Toyota has invested $1.2 billion in the facility. Located approximately 600 miles from the U.S.-Mexico border crossing at Laredo, Texas, the plant is strategically positioned for export to the United States.
Mexico is rapidly emerging as a significant manufacturing hub for electric and hybrid vehicles, primarily targeting the U.S. market. Other major automakers such as General Motors, Ford Motor Co., BMW, and Audi are either producing electric vehicles in Mexico or have plans to do so. Additionally, Tesla is constructing a $5 billion electric vehicle factory in the Mexican city of Monterrey.
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