Toyota Motor Manufacturing France will produce a hybrid model as from 2012

Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) and Toyota Motor Europe (TME) have decided to allocate to their factory in Valenciennes, Toyota Motor Manufacturing France (TMMF), the production of a small hybrid vehicle as from 2012. This decision fits in Toyota's strategy to extend the full hybrid technology to an increasing number of models. Since 2000, almost 300,000 Toyota and Lexus hybrid vehicles have been sold in Europe – and sales results are climbing steadily.

"We are extremely proud of this decision, which reinforces TMMF's position in Toyota's European manufacturing operations", Makoto Sano, TMMF President commented. "We express our warm gratitude to the authorities for the help they provided in the context of this project. The perspective of receiving financial support from the State and regional and local authorities have played a significant role in the decision in favour of TMMF."

"We will now work together with our suppliers, our local partners and all our employees", Makoto Sano continued, to prepare the arrival of a hybrid model and to guarantee that the very high levels of quality and efficiency achieved by TMMF since its establishment will be maintained."

TMMF will be Toyota's second European factory to integrate the hybrid technology, after Toyota Motor Manufacturing UK (TMUK) where production of the Toyota Auris hybrid started in June 2010. The Auris hybrid has received an excellent response from the market; the initial production capacity for 2010 is already almost sold out. This success comes in addition to the remarkable performance of Prius, which sells this year 50% more than in 2009, and of the Lexus range, for which hybrid models represent more than half of European sales.

The full hybrid technology is at the heart of Toyota's strategy towards sustainable mobility. It combines low fuel consumption, record-low CO2, NOX and PM emission levels, silent drive in electric mode and a dynamic driving performance.

Toyota Motor Manufacturing France (TMMF) is the European production site for Yaris since 2001. As of today, more than 1,820,000 vehicles have been produced at TMMF, which currently employs more than 3,000 persons with a production capacity of 270,000 vehicles per year.

A total of 920 million EUR have been invested in the plant since its establishment. The implementation of hybrid production represents an additional investment of 53 M€.

In the coming years, Toyota will launch several new hybrid models on the European market, including the vehicle to be manufactured in Valenciennes. Toyota's target is to propose a hybrid version of all Toyota and Lexus models by the early 2020s.