Toyota West Virginia Rolls Its First Hybrid Transaxle Off Production Line Represents $226 Million Investment in the Plant

Buffalo, W.Va. (June 9, 2020)– After more than two years of dedicated preparation, Toyota Motor Manufacturing West Virginia (TMMWV) produced Toyota’s first hybrid transaxle in North America this previous week.

“Our team has been planning for this new production line for several years, from construction to pilot projects to hiring new employees and countless hours of training,” said Srini Matam, TMMWV president. “Our team members’ dedication to the work they do every day is what makes our products world-class, and we are grateful for the continued support of our parent company, Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC).”

An initial $113 million investment was announced in late 2017 for TMMWV to yearly produce 120,000 hybrid transaxles, which replaces the conventional transmission in hybrid vehicles. The transaxles, built for the Toyota Sienna and Highlander hybrid vehicles, change their power input with either electric power or internal combustion engine depending on driving conditions to achieve the best fuel economy. During the construction, which included a 72,000 square-foot building expansion and new equipment installation, TMC doubled the production capacity in early 2019 to 240,000 yearly and nearly doubled the project investment to $226 million.

“We are proud to add such a significant investment to Toyota West Virginia,” Matam said. “Expanding West Virginia’s production capabilities to hybrid technology solidifies our facility’s role in producing next generation engines and transmissions that will drive the future of Toyota’s advanced mobility technology

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in the U.S. and North America for more than 60 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands. During that time, Toyota has created a tremendous value chain as our teams have contributed to world-class design, engineering, and assembly of more than 38 million cars and trucks in North America, where we have 14 manufacturing plants, 15 including our joint venture in Alabama (10 in the U.S.), and directly employ more than 47,000 people (over 36,000 in the U.S.). Our 1,800 North American dealerships (nearly 1,500 in the U.S.) sold 2.8 million cars and trucks (2.4 million in the U.S.) in 2018.

Through the Start Your Impossible campaign, Toyota highlights the way it partners with community, civic, academic and governmental organizations to address our society’s most pressing mobility challenges. We believe that when people are free to move, anything is possible. For more information about Toyota, visit www.toyotanewsroom.com

Toyota Motor Manufacturing West Virginia, Inc. (TMMWV) is located in Buffalo and employs approximately 1,800 team members. Toyota has invested more than $1.4 billion into the nearly 2 million square-foot facility that annually produces nearly one million engines and transmissions for the Camry, Corolla, Avalon, Lexus ES and RX 350, Sienna, Highlander, and RAV4.

Bethany Ross
304-812-4193

Rick Hesterberg
859-351-4780