Toyota Invests in Mexican Hybrid Pickup Truck Production
Toyota is doubling down on its hybrid powertrain technology by committing to a $328M in a Mexican plant ready to build a hybrid electric pickup truck.
The money will be used to modify the plant’s production line in the central Mexican state of Guanajuato to handle the launch of a new hybrid model of its Tacoma pickup truck. Toyota has invested close to $1.2Bn in Guanajuato since it announced the plant and hopes to provide more than 2,500 jobs, Reuters reports.
The announcement followed a visit from Guanajuato governor Diego Sinhue to Japan. Most of the electric vehicles built in Mexican factories head north into the US because few domestic customers can afford the inflated prices of the vehicles. The country also lacks a BEV network of charging stations. Currently it has about 1,100 charging stations, mostly clustered in large cities, restricting long-distance EV drives. Hybrid vehicles, however, could be a step forward until there is more investment in BEVs. Toyota said in a statement: “The new version of the ‘Mexican pickup’ will be hybrid electric, which means Guanajuato will now form part of the company’s electrification production strategy.”
— Paul Myles is a seasoned automotive journalist based in Europe. Follow him on Twitter @Paulmyles_
