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California plant may assemble Prius to help increase supply

Discussion in 'Prius, Hybrid, EV and Alt-Fuel News' started by Rybold, May 30, 2008.

  1. Rybold

    Rybold globally warmed member

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    TOKYO (AP) -- The Tokyo Shimbun reported Friday that Toyota Motor Corp. was in talks with General Motors Corp. about producing the Prius, now made in only Japan and China, at a joint venture plant in Fremont, Calif.

    The newspaper, which did not cite sources (as is common in Japanese media reports), said that adding another production plant will help boost Toyota hybrid sales.

    Toyota said Friday that nothing had been decided yet on using its California joint venture plant with General Motors to produce its Prius hybrid -- a move that would mark the first North American plant for the hit "green" car.

    Toyota is hoping to sell 1 million hybrids a year sometime after 2010. Toyota took a decade before recently reaching cumulative sales of 1 million for the Prius, the world's first mass produced gas-electric hybrid.

    Hybrids, which save on gas by switching between a gasoline engine and electric motor, are growing increasingly popular because of soaring gas prices and growing fears about global warming.

    Other automakers, including GM and Honda Motor Co., are trying to catch up with Toyota with their versions of hybrids.

    "We are always considering the best places for production, but nothing has been decided about producing the Prius at NUMMI," Toyota said in a statement, referring to the plant called New United Motor Manufacturing Inc.

    The majority of global Prius sales are in the U.S., where demand for small cars are surging. California has among the toughest emissions regulations in the world, helping making the Prius popular there.

    The Tokyo Shimbun said the major components of the Prius will be shipped to be assembled at the NUMMI plant in California. Set up in 1984, NUMMI produces the Corolla subcompact and other Toyota models.

    Toyota denies decision on Prius in US: Financial News - Yahoo! Finance
     
    #1 Rybold, May 30, 2008
  2. chinoloco93

    chinoloco93 New Member

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    I used to pass the Nummi plant everyday when I worked in San Jose. We just got a Corolla that was produced by Nummi. It would be nice to get the Prius from here locally. I hope the quality remain as good as the current Japan plants. I know the Corolla seems to be a well put together car. This would make Toyota more of an American Car company then the boys in detroit that assemble their vehicles in mexico.... our extended family has two Corollas from Nummi and they are great cars.
     
    #2 chinoloco93, May 30, 2008
  3. onlynark

    onlynark Member

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    its down by 880 and autowest right?
     
    #3 onlynark, May 30, 2008
  4. Rybold

    Rybold globally warmed member

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    I'm not sure if my Corolla was assembled in Nummi, but I know the "final point of assembly" was in the United States. My car has definitely been of excellent quality since I bought it in May 2004. Before gasoline prices went up, I used to drive my car "autocross" at a local airstrip that was turned into a closed course racetrack. I used to go through a set of tires and brake pads every two months. Believe me, I really put my Corolla through it's paces. I used to turn the wheel all the way to the left at zero mph, then slam my foot on the gas, to create QUITE a burnout. Yeah, my Corolla went through a lot. After about 2.5 years of hard driving, for about 1.5 years now, I have been driving it easy. Today, obviously if I am getting 38mpg, I am driving it very gently. I am going to hit 100K miles very soon, and I have had ZERO PROBLEMS, AND ZERO COMPLAINTS about my Corolla. A very high quality product.

    Whenever I go over to my local Toyota dealer and look at the window stickers, almost all of the new cars say "70% parts U.S.A., 30% parts Japan."

    How can I find out if my car was assembled at Nummi? Is it on the inside of the door? I'll have to look tomorrow.
     
    #4 Rybold, May 30, 2008
  5. Ichiro

    Ichiro Member

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    Interesting news... I wonder about the economics of it.

    The Bay Area must be one of the more costly locations for manufacturing in the U.S.
    Cost of labor, energy, water, etc. Not to mention state and local taxes, regulations.

    Doesn't Toyota have other plants in the U.S.? I thought they did in Alabama.
     
    #5 Ichiro, May 30, 2008
  6. blackpri

    blackpri New Member

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    toyota's N.American HQ is near Lexington, KY.
    I believe they build a huge amount of Camry's there, including some hybrid ones.
     
    #6 blackpri, May 30, 2008
  7. qbee42

    qbee42 My other car is a boat

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    Georgetown. We go by it every time we go rock climbing in KY.

    Tom
     
    #7 qbee42, May 30, 2008
  8. okiebutnotfrommuskogee

    okiebutnotfrommuskogee Senior Member

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    My Avalon was built in Kentucky.:)
     
    #8 okiebutnotfrommuskogee, May 30, 2008
  9. bwilson4web

    bwilson4web BMW i3 and Model 3

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    There will be a Toyota factory tour at Georgetown KY on Columbus Day, Monday, Oct. 13. They do make the Camry, Solara (sp?), Avelon, and the Camry Hybrids at that plant. In the last tour in Oct. 2007 they reported 1/3d of their Camry production are hybrids. Somehow, I suspect the numbers might be a little different this year.

    Great tour ... especially for engineers and technologists.

    Bob Wilson
     
    #9 bwilson4web, May 30, 2008
  10. Rybold

    Rybold globally warmed member

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    Although I doubt they will allow you to take a camera, maybe you could type up a summary of interesting observations and post them on PriusChat, if you go. I live too far away, but most of us on here are likely interested in hearing about your observations. Thank you.
     
    #10 Rybold, May 30, 2008
  11. orionll

    orionll Active Member

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    NUMMI gives factory tours.

    link: tours

     
    #11 orionll, May 30, 2008
  12. sandman

    sandman Member

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    Georgetown, Ky is correct Thats where I work..:)

    They give tours every week on certain days only, don't know the day though..We make Camry's, Hybrid camry's, Avalon's ,Solara's and soon the Vensa...They are doing away with the solara..We make around 2000 cars each day counting both shift's...goggle tmmk thats there home site...
     
    #12 sandman, May 30, 2008
  13. sandman

    sandman Member

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    The Plant Tour

    Complete your TMMK experience by taking the plant tour. You will hear and see just what goes into the manufacturing the Camry, Avalon and Solara vehicles that roll of the line each day.
    Our friendly staff of tour guides will lead you through portions of our 7.5 million square foot facility. The tour begins in Stamping where you will see cars take shape from huge coils of rolled up steel. Then move to Body Weld where these stamped pieces are put together. Watch as a team of computer-controlled robots perform the welds that result in a completed body shell. Look up and see overhead conveyors transport the cars from Paint, to the Final Line in Assembly. Through the tour, your guide will point out the foundations of the world renowned Toyota Production System as well as give insight into the line side processes of the TMMK team members. The TMMK plant tour was nationally honored as the “Best in Class Public Tour-Small Program†by the Guest Relations Association.
    This tram driven tour takes approximately an hour and a half. Once your tour concludes, you will leave with a complimentary “safety-themed†souvenir. Interested in touring TMMK in person? Here's a video preview of the tour at Toyota's Kentucky plant—which is Toyota's largest manufacturing facility in North America. Sit back and enjoy as we introduce you to Kentucky craftsmanship at its best.
    Admission to the Visitor Center and plant tour is free. Cell phones that take photos, cameras and handbags, book bags, briefcases, purses, bags and backpacks are prohibited on the tour. Children traveling with families must be in 1st grade or above to take the tour. Visitors must also present a valid photo ID. School groups of children 4th grade and above, tour groups and other large groups are welcome. However, all groups must have advance reservations to tour the plant. Walk-ins will be accommodated based on availability. For reservations, call the Toyota Tour Line at 502-868-3027 or 1-800-TMM-4485. You will receive a confirmation letter in the mail once your reservation has been successfully booked. We hope you’ll join us to see for yourself the craftsmanship, quality and pride that go into all our Toyota vehicles!
    Hours of Operation

    The Visitor Center is open Monday through Friday, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., with extended hours to 7:00 p.m. on Thursdays.
    Plant Tours

    Monday

    10:00 a.m.; Noon; 2:00 p.m.
    Tuesday

    10:00 a.m.; Noon; 2:00 p.m.
    Wednesday

    10:00 a.m.; Noon; 2:00 p.m.
    Thursday

    10:00 a.m.; Noon; 2:00 p.m.; 6:00 p.m.
    Friday

    10:00 a.m.; Noon; 2:00 p.m.
    ​
    Location & Directions

    You'll find us at
    1001 Cherry Blossom Way
    Georgetown, KY 40324
    1-800-TMM-4485
    Enter at the Visitor's Entrance. Security personnel will tell you where to park.
     
    #13 sandman, May 30, 2008
  14. JimN

    JimN Let the games begin!

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    Half of the Prius production wears Toyota badges. The other half wears Chevy Volt badges. Lutz can brag that GM's Volt is as good as Toyota's Prius and everyone's happy.

    An American assembled Toyota shouldn't have a J in the VIN.
     
    #14 JimN, May 30, 2008
  15. Bill Merchant

    Bill Merchant absit invidia

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    If the first letter of your VIN is J, your car was produced in Japan. Otherwise, it wasn't. I don't know what the VIN code for NUMMI is.
     
    #15 Bill Merchant, May 31, 2008
  16. ServoScanMan

    ServoScanMan Member

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    The Tundra is made in San Antonio, TX. I think the Sequoia is made in Indiana? The Camry and Camry Hybrid is made in Kentucky. I believe the plant in California is making the Corolla. And from what I remember, the California plant is making a profit despite the high cost of labor, energy, etc.
     
    #16 ServoScanMan, May 31, 2008
  17. Rybold

    Rybold globally warmed member

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    My V.I.N. is "1NXBR32.............." There are no "J"s in my VIN.


    With the current monetary exchange rates, American labor should be "cheap labor" for the Japanese. They should continue to sell their cars at current prices in the U.S. and keep the money in U.S. Dollars and wait several years until the economy turns around and then convert their (then elevated) U.S. Dollars into Japanese Yen. I sure hope at least one person in Toyota's corporate office is smart enough to think of this!

    .
     
    #17 Rybold, Jun 1, 2008
  18. racerbob

    racerbob Member

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    #18 racerbob, Jun 1, 2008
  19. Ichiro

    Ichiro Member

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    #19 Ichiro, Jun 1, 2008
  20. hschuck

    hschuck Member

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    You car was built in the US. see
     
    #20 hschuck, Jun 1, 2008
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