allscion
Joined: 03 Mar 2004
Posts: 252
Location: Arlington, Virginia, USA
|
| Posted: 5/17/05 8:36AM Post subject: This just in: Toyota plans hybrid Camry |
|
|
Fresh off the wires...
Best regards
Paul 8)
Allscion -- an e-commerce Web site with news and accessories for your Scion vehicles
http://www.allscion.com/store
BC-AUTOS-TOYOTA-CAMRY
Toyota to make a hybrid Camry in Kentucky
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Toyota Motor Corp. said Tuesday it would produce a hybrid version of its popular Camry sedan at its assembly plant in Georgetown, Kentucky.
Toyota said in a statement that production of the Camry hybrid was due to begin in late 2006, with capacity to build around 48,000 of the vehicles per year.
It will be the first North American production of a gasoline-electric hybrid vehicle for Toyota, which currently imports its hybrid vehicles, such as the Prius car and the Lexus RX 400h luxury sport utility vehicle, from Japan.
The Kentucky plant, established in 1986 and the company’s largest North American plant, already builds the gasoline-powered Camry, and Avalon and Solara vehicles.
Production of the Camry hybrid would take place on the plant’s existing lines with no expected change in capacity or employment at the Georgetown facility, the company said.
Interest in hybrid vehicles has increased with higher gasoline prices, although they are still produced in relatively small volumes.
Toyota is a world leader in production of gasoline-electric hybrid vehicles, along with Honda Motor Co. Ltd., which sells the Insight and hybrid versions of its Civic and Accord cars.
Toyota’s fuel-sipping Prius is in high demand in the United States, with sales up 196 percent in April over a year earlier.
“The continued success of Prius has demonstrated consumers’ growing demand for hybrid vehicles,” said Jim Press, Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. executive vice president and COO and a managing officer of Toyota Motor Corp.
Toyota’s Lexus RX 400h reached dealerships in April. Its Highlander SUV hybrid is due to go on sale in June.
The regular Camry was the top-selling car in the United States in 2004, with sales of 426,990 vehicles. REUTERS Reut11:17 05-17-05 |
|