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Toyota investing $1 billion in Mexico plant

Toyota has announced plans to build a new factory in Mexico. The site, to be located in the state of Guanajuato, is set to open in 2019 following an investment of about $1 billion. The plant will be the first to make use of the Toyota New Global Architecture, and will (at least initially) focus on production of the Corolla. The compact sedan will continue being built in the United States at the Blue Springs, MS, site, consolidating Corolla production in the south. However Toyota's site in Ontario, Canada, will shift to "mid-sized vehicles of higher value," alongside the plants in Kentucky and Indiana, the automaker said. The Guanajuato site will be Toyota's second Mexican plant, joining the Tijuana plant that assembles the Tacoma – soon to ramp up to 89,000 units per year. Once the new Guanajuato plant comes on full steam, it is slated to produce around 200,000 units per year. It'll be the first site Toyota will open worldwide since it began focusing on utilizing the production capacity it already has. With 90 percent of its production capacity now in use, the Japanese auto giant is also planning to broaden its joint venture with Guangzhou in China as well. Toyota Invests in Competitive Plants - Emphasis on Sustainable Growth Strategy - New plant in Mexico and expansion of its GTMC joint venture in China Toyota City, Japan, April 15, 2015 - Toyota announced today that it will build a new plant in Mexico and expand its joint venture, Guangzhou Toyota Motor Co., Ltd. (GTMC), in China. These investments are grounded on its plans to construct production lines that are more competitive, with greatly reduced initial investment, improved efficiency, flexibility, environmental performance and safety. These "simple and slim" production lines can be easily lengthened or shortened depending on demand. Over-head conveyance devices are eliminated, compact equipment is installed on top of the plant floors, and paint-booths are smaller. The new plant in Mexico and the expansion in China will be designed to accelerate innovation by implementing these new technologies into real production lines. With today's announcement, Akio Toyoda, President of Toyota Motor Corporation said "This investment represents our long-held principles of continuous improvement and challenging ourselves to always do better. An increase in production does not mean an undisciplined pursuit of more. Toyota's expansion must be driven by providing ever-better-cars and our talented people.

Ed Begely, Jr's RAV4 EV taken off eBay, moved to Craigslist

You may recall earlier this month that noted environmentalist and celebrated actor Ed Begley, Jr. was auctioning his own 2002 Toyota RAV4 EV on eBay. Bidding got up to $13,655 without meeting the reserve, and the auction ended on June 12 without a sale. Now, though, the well-loved electric Toyota has found its way to Craigslist with a new, set price of $17,500. The car sold for $42,000 in 2002, and has been maintained by the same dealership where Mr. Begley purchased it. The odometer shows 119,000 miles, but its battery was replaced in 2011, and shouldn't need to be replaced for another seven or eight years. Begley appears to have taken great care of his RAV4 EV, and it shows just your average cosmetic wear and tear on its white and charcoal interior. It gets about 85 miles on a full charge, and comes with the white decal that lets solo drivers use the HOV lane in California. As with the eBay deal, had that gone through, the buyer will get a chance to meet Ed Begley, Jr., and can even have him autograph the inside of the RAV4 EV's hood. Many of you may be curious as to what Begley's next daily driver will be. According to the actor's own Twitter account, he'll continue using electrons to get around, this time in a leased Nissan Leaf. As an actor, Ed Begley Jr. is known for many roles, including an Emmy-nominated role on St. Elsewhere. He also appeared on Arrested Development, Six Feet Under, Veronica Mars and in the films Pineapple Express and This Is Spinal Tap. In his decades as an environmentalist, he has appeared in his own web series On Begley Street, created his own line of environmentally friendly cleaning products, is in an ongoing competition with Bill Nye to have the lowest carbon footprint, has authored books and has been active in numerous environmental organizations.

North American production of foreign marques to jump in 2014

Wards Auto has released its North American Light Vehicle Production Forecast for 2014, and the report predicts foreign manufacturers will increase production on the continent some 3.9 percent by 2014. If accurate, that should see 123,000 additional cars, trucks and vans produced in North America, swelling the total number of units produced both by domestic and foreign manufacturers to 16.9 million light vehicles from a projected 15.6 million in 2013. Much of the increase can be attributed to the fact that Toyota intends to produce another car at its Blue Springs, MS plant as well as a new Lexus model at its Georgetown, KY facility in a year's time.
Likewise, Volkswagen intends to move production of a currently imported model to its plant in Puebla, Mexico. Daimler, Honda, Nissan and Mazda also plan to build additional models on North American soil for the first time. Around two-thirds of the new North American manufacturing will take place in Mexico, helping the country soak up a full 20 percent of the content's automotive production for the first time. You can head over to the Wards Auto site for the full report.