It is telling that Toyota is choosing this path at a time when Ford, GM, and Stellantis are, on the contrary, cutting their electric programs and halting construction of battery plants. The Japanese manufacturer is moving in the opposite direction — but not because it believes in rapid growth in demand for electric cars. The point is that Toyota has always bet on hybrid technology rather than fully electric models. The company has never sought to outpace the market, and now such caution looks justified.
In America, electrified Toyota and Lexus vehicles account for 42.5% of all sales. Over three quarters, 892,408 such cars were sold, which is 25.7% more than a year earlier. However, of this number, only 17,603 are fully electric vehicles. Everything else is hybrids of various types, which are in huge demand. Overall, Toyota and Lexus sales continue to grow despite cooling interest in electric vehicles.
The TBMNC enterprise became Toyota's first battery plant outside Japan and the company's eleventh manufacturing site in the United States. Its annual capacity reaches 30 GWh, but by 2030 this figure is planned to be increased — the territory of 7.5 km² leaves room for significant expansion. The plant has 14 assembly lines, and the workforce has grown by 5,100 new employees. On the complex's territory, there are a kindergarten, a gym, and a medical center — everything is arranged in the American style, where the enterprise becomes a town for its workers.
The announcement of an additional $10 billion investment was welcome news for the Donald Trump administration, which is persistently urging automakers to move the full production cycle to the United States. Toyota does not disclose which specific projects this money will go to, but it is known that part of the funds will be directed toward creating the first three-row electric vehicle that the company will produce in America.
Taking this announcement into account, Toyota's total investment in the United States reaches nearly $60 billion, making this project one of the most ambitious in the history of the American automotive industry.
