Similar reports have been coming out for a little while with different figures, but thought I'd post this as a glimmer of hope for those in line for the 2010 model. If you didn't think you saw Prii everywhere already, get ready. Toyota to boost Prius output by 70% Original Article AUTOMOTIVE NEWS JULY 25, 2008 - 3:00 AM ET TOKYO (Reuters) -- Toyota aims to produce 70 percent more Prius hybrids after a planned remodeling next year, bringing annual output to at least 480,000 units, the Nikkan Kogyo industry daily reported on Friday. Toyota now builds most of the hot-selling gasoline-electric cars at its Tsutsumi factory in central Japan and another plant belonging to affiliate Toyota Auto Body. It also assembled 320 Priuses in China last year. The newspaper said Toyota would transfer production of the Wish minivan, also built in Tsutsumi along with four other models, to another factory around next April to make way for more Priuses. A Toyota spokeswoman said the company could not comment on the report. Toyota sold 281,300 Prius cars worldwide in 2007 and faces a severe supply bottleneck with fuel-conscious customers, especially in the United States, waiting months for delivery. The world's biggest automaker also recently announced a plan to start building the Prius at an upcoming Mississippi factory from 2010. The Wish minivan will move to the Tahara factory, from which some production of the RAV4 crossover will switch to a new factory in Canada, the paper said. Toyota has a goal of selling at least 1 million hybrid vehicles annually soon after 2010, more than double what it sold last year.
"production of the Wish minivan, to another factory around next April to make way for more Priuses." "..to start building the Prius at an upcoming Mississippi factory from 2010." AWESOME!!! I wish they would make the restructuring plans today instead of waiting until 2009, but this is still excellent news! As more and more Americans switch from SUVs to more fuel efficient cars, the demand and therefore price of crude oil will continue to fall !
California was to get the Prius plant (which would make sense) but Toyota shifted it to Mississippi because of California's high taxes. Any lessons learned in CA? Nope.
Awwww.. bummer.. I read the topic and I thought that Toyota was going to increase the Horsepower of the Prius by 70%. So much for wishful thinking. heh heh.
I too thought it was an increase. As for shifting the plant, could have been for multi reasons, distribution, taxes wages, etc. Ca area big seller, now whole country wants it.
Yup.. Toyota is already building the Mississippi truck plant when the bottom fell out of the truck market, so obviously they no longer want another factory to turn out trucks that they can't sell. They can't back out of the commitment to build a plant there though, so Toyota made the best out of the situation by changing the construction to a Prius plant instead. That's a smart move and I'm sure it's nothing against California.
Cost cutting all around, less taxes, lower wages, centrally located for distribution. Like you said they were already building a plant. Timing couldn't have been better for the last key to fall in place.
That is the perfect description of my cousin's 190hp Nissan Altima Hybrid, aka a Prius on steroids (but without the trunk space).
I'm glad they DIDN'T. It has plenty of power now. Why does the Prius get 33% better MPG than the Hybrid Camry or Altima? Less UNNEEDED power. I think it is sad Toyota doesn't have a 45 MPG Hybrid Camry. The cars are almost the same size, there is no reason The HyCam couldn't be a "Prius with a trunk".
Decrease in US consumption (while a good and welcoming thing) will be dwarfed by increases in emerging economies. Ironically, large SUVs are selling well in places like China, Saudi Arabia, etc. GM announced just yesterday that there was some interested buyer for its Hummer brand and that they were moving fast on it. They didn't name any names though.
