Newsroom : Toyota sets start-up date for Mississippi plant / Toyota Well I just lost interest. Bob Wilson
What ... you mean they could be building Chevrolet Cobalts, and Aveo's ? Consumer Reports Article - MSN Autos
Lost interest? Hmmmmm. Me thinks I disagree! How many Toyota plants in the USA do you know that only build one vehicle? Yes, they ALL start out that way, but eventually..... I think it's a great accounting of our economy - and testament to the commitment that Toyota has demonstrated - to re-start this plant when we (the USA/World) have not completly exited from the downturn that impacted the economy so greatly. It's been a long up hill climb for everyone (myself included) - so it's good to see that there is a light (even a dim one) at the end of the tunnel.
I noticed Toyota's press release did not include the Prius. Before the plant was suspended, Toyota had identified the Prius as a vehicle to make there and it may come online later but that would be speculation. It is not uncommon for a plant to run several model lines like the Georgetown plant that makes Camry, Avealon, and Venzas. Today, Japan buys ~1.8 Prius for every USA Prius. The USA sales volume would have to significantly expand before moving some Prius manufacturing moved here. But if we took the "way back" machine and looked at the ratio about two years ago when the Mississippi plant was first proposed, the USA Prius ratio was higher. I suspect the Japanese government policy that made the Prius and Honda hybrids more competitive with the very small engined cars changed the markets. This was done while the Mississippi plant was being built. Today the market distribution is different and Prius production in the USA may not make as much sense. It is a complex problem balancing manufacturing resources and events outside of Toyota's control can change what makes sense. But I still like hybrids and hope we start seeing more volume production in the USA. I think Ford is building some of their hybrids in Kansas City and that would be another place to visit. Bob Wilson
Toyota is taking the Mississippi plant out of mothballs because it closed the NUMMI plant in California. NUMMI used to make the Corolla and Tacoma. The Tacoma when to the Tundra plant in Texas and the Corolla is going to Mississippi. This is not a net increase in US manufacturing for Toyota.
Exactly. It seems to be a way to get some subsidies to open a plant and at the same time get rid of Union benefits and work rules with the Corolla. It is far from creating new jobs by moving NA prius manufacturing to the United States.
