Toyota’s U.S. branch announced April 28 it would invest $803 million more in its Princeton, Indiana location to build two new SUVs there. The money, Toyota says, will be used to prepare the factory for the new vehicles and train the expected 1,400 new employees to produce them. Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Indiana, currently employees 7,296 people, and Toyota says the 23-year-old plant has received $5.8 billion in investments so far.
In a statement, Toyota said the new SUVs would be “electrified” and touted their role towards the company’s long-term carbon-neutral goals, but did not specify if the vehicles would be battery-operated or hybrid models.
TMMI currently produces at least one “electrified” model, the Toyota Highlander Hybrid, a traditional—distinct from a plug-in—hybrid that powers a battery using an internal combustion engine. The plant also produces the Toyota Sienna and Sequoia models, both traditional gas-powered vehicles.
One of the new SUVs will be branded as a Lexus, the first vehicle produced at the Princeton plant to be branded with Toyota’s luxury line. Both will seat 8 and boast high-tech features like limited hands-free driving “in certain conditions” and automatic parking.
Ted Ogawa, CEO of Toyota Motor North America, in a statement said Toyota has “led the way” with electrified vehicles over the past 20 years. “This investment and new vehicle line-up will allow us to continue our work with electrification, and meet the needs of our customers while we accelerate towards carbon neutrality,” he said.
The company noted that the location’s commitment towards carbon mitigation is not only focused on electric or hybrid vehicles, but also on production processes assembling them: The Indiana plant’s environmental team, Toyota says, has invested over $4 million on carbon-dioxide reduction projects and has another $2.7 planned for the coming year.
“Selecting Toyota Indiana for this opportunity shows the confidence Toyota has in our employees,” said Leah Curry, President of TMMI. She said the plant would welcome the new employees and vehicles “with open arms.”
Governor Eric J. Holcomb of Indiana called Toyota an “incredible partner to the state of Indiana for nearly 25 years,” and said he looked forward to continuing the partnership. “I can’t thank Toyota enough for the role they play in the strength of our manufacturing sector,” he said.
