Toyota Halts Tundra Production - Prius Production To Be Moved Stateside

Toyota Halts Tundra Production - Prius Production To Be Moved Stateside
Toyota is responding to changes in consumer demand and improving the production efficiency and stability of its North American operations by adjusting production mix at three plants. The changes include the addition of the Prius hybrid sedan to its North American lineup.

    The changes are as follows:

    -- Prius will be built at a plant under construction in Blue Springs, Miss. Production is scheduled to begin in late 2010. Prius, which will join the Kentucky-built Camry Hybrid as the second Toyota hybrid built in North America, enables Toyota to better respond to increased consumer demand for hybrid vehicles.

    -- The Highlander mid-size SUV, originally scheduled to be built in Mississippi, will now be manufactured in Princeton, Ind., beginning in Fall 2009.

    -- Production of the Tundra full-size pick-up truck, currently built in Indiana and Texas, will be consolidated at the San Antonio plant in Spring 2009.

    In addition, Toyota will temporarily suspend Tundra and Sequoia production beginning August 8 due to the declining overall market for full size trucks and SUVs. Production is scheduled to resume in early November. Team members at both facilities, as well as the Huntsville, Ala. plant that builds Tundra and Sequoia engines, will continue to be provided work.

    "The truck market continues to worsen, so unfortunately we must temporarily suspend production. But this good news about production mix demonstrates our long-term commitment to our North American operations and to our team members, supplier partners, and communities where our plants are located," said Jim Wiseman, vice president/external affairs for Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America (TEMA). "By using this downturn as an opportunity to develop team members and improve our operations, we hope to emerge even stronger."



EL34EL34 - 7/10/2008 10:25:12 AM
+1 Boost
"Toyota Halts Tundra Production"

good.


PlanBPlanB - 7/10/2008 11:03:40 AM
+7 Boost
Of course they did, the Tundra isn't immune to these gas prices either.


91z4me91z4me - 7/10/2008 11:21:47 AM
+4 Boost
MT, you are wrong. The market is declining. Putting lots of money into a hybrid model wouldn't be worth the investment for Toyota give their sales numbers.

But if you think Toyota should burn money for 1-2K sales per year then maybe they should.


lenkunlenkun - 7/10/2008 11:31:35 AM
+3 Boost
Toyota needs to bring back those good old inline-4 trucks from the 1980s. Those things run forever and they hall lawn motors for yard work used by many gardeners here. They made turbo inline-4 too.

Anyone know the name of those Toyota trucks during the 80s? I know the 90s was called the T-1000.


fuzionfuzion - 7/10/2008 12:03:15 PM
+6 Boost
I think the T-1000 was from Terminator; the T-100 was their first larger truck :)


RupertRupert - 7/10/2008 12:54:54 PM
+2 Boost
In Europe we get the Hilux pick-up, that has a 4 cylinder diesel...it's 'small' by American standards though.


M35MTM35MT - 7/10/2008 5:25:53 PM
+1 Boost
The Tacoma was really small back in the late 80's early 90's.


ChicaneShooterChicaneShooter - 7/11/2008 5:25:36 AM
+1 Boost
what was called the Hilux in other markets had NO NAME in the u.s., other than simply "Toyota Truck."

in 1995, it was given the name Tacoma.




lenkunlenkun - 7/11/2008 4:07:35 PM
+1 Boost
Terminator was the T-800 and the T-1000 was from Terminator 2: Judgment.

So T-100 was the Toyota truck of the 1990s.


toolatetoracetoolatetorace - 7/12/2008 12:07:12 AM
+1 Boost
Hilux ?? Something you bought in a grocery store in the soap isle


masartmasart - 8/8/2008 2:22:12 PM
+1 Boost
T1000 was a pontiac my parents had when I was a kid. It chevette with a pontiac emblem:-}


jeffy210jeffy210 - 7/10/2008 11:45:41 AM
+1 Boost
Bring back the Hilux!


EL34EL34 - 7/10/2008 11:54:34 AM
-3 Boost
BTW, this also means the end of all the big Toyota SUV's.


fuzionfuzion - 7/10/2008 12:02:27 PM
+4 Boost
yeah, the article clearly says "BTW, this also means the end of all the big Toyota SUV's."

The end?...

..

.


ooh pong..
.

k


toolatetoracetoolatetorace - 7/12/2008 12:05:18 AM
+1 Boost
Pong ??


michal1980michal1980 - 7/10/2008 12:04:09 PM
-1 Boost
oh how the world spins... toyota sounds an awfull lot like the big 2.5


800over800over - 7/10/2008 1:33:20 PM
+2 Boost
Except the big "2.5" keep building cars after demand has abated, like Chrysler 300. They're just building what they think will sell, I don't think that's a crazy idea.


xlr8xlr8 - 7/10/2008 2:31:20 PM
0 Boost
smart decision doing this now and not later like some other companies...never liked the new tundra anyway.


american_madeamerican_made - 7/10/2008 7:07:57 PM
+5 Boost
Toyota has peaked...... Correct me if I am wrong


SoCalJimSoCalJim - 7/10/2008 8:07:03 PM
+2 Boost
Stand corrected, you're wrong. Toyota leads hybrid technology and there will be a hybrid in all Toyota products lines in the near future. Eventually the economics will work themselves out. Probably about the time gas is $7 to $8 a gallon.

But then there is always E85, hows GM doing these days?


toolatetoracetoolatetorace - 7/12/2008 12:03:19 AM
+1 Boost
Probabely better than Toytie , By that time people will realize that they are not doing any good by sending anymore money overseas than we already are. Better off doing business with a American Owned company rather than a overseas operation . The Europeans knew this long time ago


91z4me91z4me - 7/13/2008 12:40:01 PM
+1 Boost
Actually I don't think GM has closed any plants since the last round of union discussions. Instead they have increased shut down time and re-invisioned its production plans. I guess the kool aid is affecting your vision, sad really.


jackson63jackson63 - 7/13/2008 8:48:43 PM
+1 Boost
I guess the people in Indiana making toyotas will c ommute to San Antonio when they shift production.The reason toyota and many other company's come to the USA is to make money.The Japanese are focused and loyal hopefully that will happen with Americans before they get outsourced


ChicaneShooterChicaneShooter - 7/11/2008 5:30:14 AM
+1 Boost

the Hilux/Tacoma was and is capable of 30 mpg.

anyone seen any sales figures for the tacoma?




DieselRulesDieselRules - 7/14/2008 3:56:51 PM
+1 Boost
the HiLux diesel is tough-as-nails and popular all over the world (except North America, where you can't buy it).
Its low-cost, very spartan (no options to break down) and really cheap to operate.
Just what Toyota needs to sell NOW!

But you wouldn't want to sell a practical vehicle that could steal sales from more expensive (and profitable) models.


ChicaneShooterChicaneShooter - 7/16/2008 5:30:02 AM
0 Boost
gas 4-cyl Tacomas are still readilly available.

friend got a 2wd 'basic' model (had to go out of state to get it). he reports 30+ mpg.

my older '94 version gets up to 34 mpg on trips. this is one of little known 'secret weapon' trucks! who REALLY needs 4x4 and v6s? (to say nothing of v8s!)

and the payload capacity is a full 3/4 ton. may not TOW well, but it can HAUL as well as any full-sizer!




mini2nutmini2nut - 7/17/2008 7:59:58 PM
+1 Boost
The A-Bat concept pickup can't arrive soon enough. Unless relatively close to work, the days of a solo driver commuting in a full size pickup with an empty truck bed and getting 12-15mpg are over. Here is So. California many commuters drive 80-120 miles round trip daily, 5 days a week. Crunch the numbers for weekly pit stops for fuel and you see why sales have dropped off a cliff. They are advertising brand new V8 Tundra Double Cabs here for $19K after rebates!!!
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