The giant car maker uses its traditional assembly-line production to construct prefab housing. The homes feature smart keys, noise reduction -- even scratch-resistant walls.
Cubicles that are bits of homes, tucked with stairways, built-in closets and pink bathtubs, roll off the assembly line at a bustling Toyota plant in central Japan -- not the usual rows of shiny cars.
Kasugai Housing Works, a plant for prefabricated housing run by Toyota Motor Corp., prides itself on the same production methods that gave the Japanese auto maker a reputation for quality and efficiency around the world. The plant was shown to reporters on a rare tour recently.
A house in 6 hours
Housing makes up less than 1% of Toyota's $183 billion annual sales. But company officials say technology acquired from years of making cars is central to homebuilding Toyota style.
*Not really automotive news, but somewhat related to the automotive world.
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