Toyota News: Toyota Begins V6 Production in Alabama

[Matt]

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[Matt]

    
Toyota starts first ever V6 engine production in Alabama

[30 Aug 2005] Toyota has initiated assembly of its new V6 engine at its factory in Alabama. The new power plant will be used to drive the Japanese auto titan's Tacoma and Tundra pickup truck models.

The new V6 engine will be built by Toyota Motor Manufacturing Alabama (TMMAL), which opened in May 2003, and already supplies V8 engines for the Tundra full- size pickup and Sequoia full-size sport utility vehicle produced in Indiana.

The V6 engines will be used for Tacoma pickup trucks made in Fremont, California and Baja California, Mexico as well as the Tundra. TMMAL will also provide V8 and V6 engines for a Tundra plant opening next year in San Antonio, Texas.

TMMAL now employs more than 500 staff and has the capacity to produce 120,000 V8 and 130,000 V6 engines annually. An expansion underway to increase V8 production will further boost employment to 800 and total investment to nearly a half billion dollars by 2006.

The new engine production line and planned expansion are part of Toyota's wider plan to reach an annual capacity to build 1.81 million cars and trucks, 1.44 million engines, and 600,000 automatic transmissions in North America by 2008.