Official: Toyota Prius will be built in the U.S.

Toyota’s hybrid Prius will be built at its Blue Springs, Mississippi in the US; however, no date has been announced yet. Nevertheless, it is believed that production of the Prius, which is currently being imported from Japan, won’t start before the American market stabilizes.

In an interview with Just-Auto, a Toyota spokesman had said that due to the sour economy, the company has had “too much capacity.” As a result, Toyota chose not to spend all the money and to use its underutilized plant in Indiana. The spokesman also said that the production date has not been decided yet and that the company is “waiting to see what global demand for the Prius will be.”
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Joe_Limon - 1/18/2010 7:29:59 PM

-2 Boost

Question, where will the batteries be made? Are they still going to be finalized in Japan shipped to North America to be installed in the car, and then shipped globally?

MSP6 - 1/18/2010 8:27:25 PM

+4 Boost

Not a big issue Joe, Prius only sells in US and Japan.

LexusKindaGuy12 - 1/19/2010 12:27:31 AM

+1 Boost

I didnt realize the Prius was made in Japan, just thought the battery packs were.

Batteries will definately be built in Japan because they built a dedicated plant there.

Ubernut - 1/19/2010 2:48:21 AM

-3 Boost

lolz will they smoke a wall since they got more reports that their brakes dont work... i dont believe the bold claims but i'm sure some of them sparked discussion hahaz.....oh well... i hope they r good.

Whelan - 1/19/2010 8:21:54 AM

0 Boost

Probably because in all other parts of the world people drive more efficient and better powered diesel cars.

By the time they get production ramped in the US the Prius will be in another generation or at least a refresh and the market will have stabilized.

downtoearth - 1/19/2010 2:53:56 PM

0 Boost

— Whelan:

> Probably because in all other parts of the world people drive more
> efficient and better powered diesel cars.

And now show us the diesel car which is:
- faster (0-60, 0-62 time) than Toyota Prius III
- has better combined fuel economy on ANY official (thus, verifiable and comparable) fuel economy test: EPA, European driving cycle, Japanese driving cycle, whatever.

Numbers to beat are:
1. 0-60 in 10.1 seconds, as seen here
http://www.insideline.com/toyota/prius/2010/2010-toyota-prius-full-test-and-video.html or here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwz6xgs4GXw
2. 50 mpg US on EPA test, 3,9 l/100km = 60,3 MPG US in European test.


I'm waiting.......

lexworld - 1/20/2010 12:25:17 AM

+1 Boost

Joe_Limon...there you are! I knew I'd find ya! "Hangin out on them Toyota articles again ha". Well you dont deserve to but since you're here here's the deal. Toyota owns about 40% of stock holders shares of batteries for all future hybrids and future electric cars...so there's your answer, free and clear. Not sure about your other though..but I'm sure Toyota is a little smarter than you are and they pretty much got you chasin them to improve upon their resources and you get absolutely no credit for your senseless negativity. Brilliance indeed!