Toyota To Assemble Diesel Engines In New French Plant

Toyota Motor Manufacturing France (TMMF) will begin assembly of diesel engines from the beginning of 2003. This latest expansion to Toyota’s European manufacturing activities was announced today by Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) Chairman Hiroshi Okuda at a ceremony marking the start of Yaris production at TMMF, in Valenciennes, northern France.

TMMF, Toyota’s newest car production facility in Europe, plans to invest 1 billion yen (about 926,000 euros) in building expansion and 2 billion yen (about 1,852,000 euros) in new engine assembly and related equipment, after obtaining official consent from the local government. The addition will create jobs for approximately 50 people.

Beginning in early 2003, TMMF will conduct assembly of a 1.4-litre, in-line 4-cylinder, 8-valve, direct-injection, common rail diesel unit developed solely by Toyota for compact passenger cars. The engine will be used in the TMMF-made Yaris. Although the number of annually assembled units will depend on demand, plans are to start off with the assembly of 30,000 to 40,000 units a year.

Diesel-powered vehicles are in high demand in Europe due to their low environmental impact and efficient economy. They now account for about 30 per cent of the passenger car market. Toyota, aiming to achieve annual European sales of 800,000 units, or five per cent market share by 2005, plans to build the new diesel engine in Japan initially and introduce it to Europe through exports of Japan-made

Yaris vehicles from the end of 2001. The move to assembly of the engines at TMMF is in keeping with Toyota’s basic philosophy of “building where sold and developing in step with the local community”.

ENDS