MEXICO - Toyota to open a new plant, its 15th in North America, which will commence production in 2019 to produce the Corolla.

• Celebrates the construction of its fifteenth plant in North America and its latest investment in Mexico

Along with the local community, Toyota celebrated the groundbreaking of Toyota Motor Manufacturing de Guanajuato (TMMGT), its fifteenth manufacturing plant in North America, during a ceremony in Apaseo el Grande today.

TMMGT will produce the Corolla, the top selling car in the world, beginning in 2019, and employ approximately 2,000 team members from the Bajio region. 

With an annual vehicle capacity of 200,000 units per year and a one-billion-dollar investment, TMMGT will serve as the model of manufacturing for Toyota thanks in part to its design built on the anticipated Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA). 

TNGA will serve as a catalyst for building more models on common platforms, making intelligent use of common parts, and fully leveraging Toyota’s supply chain.

“TMMGT will afford us the opportunity to boost vehicle quality and appeal while achieving cost savings through production engineering innovations,” said Mike Bafan, TMMGT president. “This plant will also be simple, sustainable, mindful of its environment and highly competitive. Ultimately, this means our customers will benefit from our cars being produced locally with the highest quality and environmental standards.”

Attending the ceremony were Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) Board Chairman Takeshi Uchiyamada, TMMGT President Mike Bafan, Toyota de México Group Vice President Jun Umemura, Toyota Motor Sales de México CEO Tom Sullivan and Toyota Motor Sales de México  General Counsel and Government Affairs Director Luis Lozano; accompanied by Guanajuato Governor Miguel Márquez Márquez, Mexico’s Secretary of Economy Ildefonso Guajardo and Apaseo el Grande Mayor Gonzalo González Centeno.

“Toyota’s investment in Guanajuato represents a long-term sign of our commitment to Mexico, its people and the Bajio region,” said Takeshi Uchiyamada, TMC board chairman. “TMMGT will play a key role in how we make products in the future, while setting a standard for manufacturing excellence in the industry.”

He also highlighted that under Toyota’s Environmental Challenge 2050, which seeks to reduce the company’s global carbon footprint, Toyota will lower CO2 emissions and water usage by fifty percent. In Guanajuato alone, the automaker will help clean up Rio Queretaro and strengthen water conservation.

Moreover, Toyota announced it will aid the needs of the local community through mobility thanks in part to a donation of five Hilux trucks and uniforms to the local police and fire departments.

Once production begins at TMMGT, Toyota will have the capacity to produce approximately 2.2 million vehicles annually in North America.