Toyota and rival Mazda are set to announce plans to build a $1.6 billion US factory as part of a new joint venture, according to a Reuters report quoting an anonymous source.
The report adds that the plant will have a capacity of 300,000 vehicles per year, divided between the two Japanese brands. It will employ about 4,000 people when it opens in 2021, the source revealed, adding that the plant’s location is yet to be determined. It is expected to produce the Toyota Corolla and a Mazda SUV.
Yesterday, Nikkei reported that Toyota would take around 5% stake in Mazda to develop key electric vehicle technologies and jointly build a factory in the US. The source who spoke to Reuters confirmed that the two Japanese players have future joint efforts on EVs. Toyota has also sold Mazda-based cars in the US before.
Toyota said in a statement that the two companies have been exploring various areas of collaboration under a May 2015 agreement. “We intend to submit a proposal to our board of directors today regarding the partnership with Mazda, however, we would like to refrain from providing further comment at this time,” the statement read.
Mazda said that “nothing has been decided yet” and that the company “will have a board meeting on this matter today. We cannot comment any further,” in a statement.
This development would be a boost to US president Donald Trump, who has chastised automakers setting up shop in neighbouring countries. Toyota was on the receiving end of one of Trump’s tweets for its plans to make the Corolla for the US market in Mexico. The compact model is currently made in Canada and in the US state of Mississippi.
No “big border tax” as threatened by Trump then, but this new US plant comes as demand for passenger cars has fallen sharply, with SUVs becoming more popular instead. Toyota’s US Corolla sales are down nearly nine percent this year.
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Mazda 86 is coming soon. Just like Subaru.
New MX5 alredi better than 86. Why replace it with something inferior?
Toyota CX-6…Wooots UMW!
4000 people can make 300,000 cars. This is amazing. It is like the Mitsubishi factory in Thailand, it has 6000 workers and makes 320,000 cars
In Malaysia, it is amazing. 12,000 workers make only 60,000 cars.
Life is goyang kaki for this factory
Honda Malaysia where got only 60k? Its much more lah. Mana ada masa utk goyang kaki wei.
2 vs 4 factories
less advanced vs more advanced tech
Mitsu kena makan by Nissan. Mazda kena makan by Toyota. Habislah niche perf cars by this 2 brands. All become ugly design shietboxes.
Sape makan Proton, konpem muntak balek.
Butthurt kah? Siannn
China makan…
Honda makan sendiri !!! Haha
4k workers produce 400k cars per year? here sure heart attack
Yeah. Amerikan workers too much rely on robots & union plotek, deswai working lazy and eats fatty foods, later kena heart attack.
Good job Trump! The strong ones get stronger. Toyota Moving Forward.
Meanwhile in bolehland…………….
Interesting JV. Hope that they can make NA engine strong again.
First product.. CX-R, second MX-86
Meanwhile, proton still selling garbage junks and Geely has been so quiet after the acquisition
Garbage junk still safer than moving deathraps with no axles.
Geely gotten Lotus in da bag, grandiose plan for Lotus soon^^
Geely Lotus Volvo sweeeet.
Bring jobs back to America – Donald Trump
But work being done by illegal Mr Potatos. Then mandatory midday siesta goyang kaki tidor.
P2 takmau JV Proton
P2 takde apa2 utk contribute to P1, buatpe P1 mau gabung with P2?
Please don’t become Toyota. Mazda cars are by a long mile the classiest and best driving layman Japanese marque there is. Joining forces with Toyota could dilute this. Toyota engineers are among the laziest and least progressive bunch, recycling technology over and over again
Thats correct. Even their salesman KK said their R&D has “huge big staff but go to office and goyang kaki”