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November 29, 2005
Toyota Chooses China for First Overseas Production of Prius
Beginning in December, a Chinese car factory will be the site of the first foreign production of Toyota's Prius hybrid vehicle. Toyota chose China for their initial overseas effort due to requests from the government for assistance in producing vehicles that are less polluting, according to the Asahi Shimbun.
The factory, located in China's northeastern Changchun, Jilin province, is part of a joint venture with China FAW Group. Toyota recently announced they broke the 500,000 unit mark in Prius sales worldwwide, with about half of those sold in the U.S.
For Toyota, the effort to expand hybrid production, which will soon begin in the U.S., is part of a larger effort to reduce costs of manufacturing the vehicles. Toyota President Katsuaki Watanabe has said the company's goal is to cut hybrid costs in half. Toyota will begin building a new Camry hybrid at the company's Georgetown, Ky., plant in late 2006.
Posted by Frank at November 29, 2005 8:11 AM | Filed under Alternative Fuels
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