Toyota still plans to build Prius at Blue Springs site
| Author/Source: | The Commercial Appeal |
|---|---|
| Published: | Mar 13, 2009 |
| Link: | View the article |
JACKSON -- Toyota Motor Co. has no plans to build anything other than the hybrid Prius at its plant under construction in Blue Springs, about 75 miles southeast of Memphis, a company spokesman said Thursday.
A news report from Washington quoted the president of Toyota's U.S. sales arm as saying Wednesday that the company may build something other than the Prius when the plant eventually goes into production.
The Blue Springs plant "was originally designed for Highlander, then switched to Prius. That decision can still be moved around," Bloomberg News quoted Toyota Motor Sales USA President Jim Lentz as saying.
Lentz and other auto executives were in Washington to meet with Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner to discuss the ailing U.S. auto industry, said Mike Michels, vice president for external communications at Toyota Motor Sales Inc. USA.
Toyota officials scrambled Thursday to play down the story.
"The question that was posed to Jim Lentz was, 'Is it possible to change plans at this point?' He said yes, because we haven't put in any equipment or tooling," Michels said.
"The plan is still to make Priuses, and we don't see anything to change that. Jim Lentz was asked was it possible."
Toyota said in December it would finish the Blue Springs plant but would do nothing further -- such as installing equipment -- until worldwide economic conditions improve.
Toyota, second only to General Motors in U.S. vehicle sales, had planned to begin building models of the Prius at the plant beginning in late 2009 or 2010.
Michels said the delay is still in place until the anemic economy gets better.
"It's important to say Prius is our No. 3 seller," Michels said.
"We sold 175,000 of those last year. It's a pretty high- volume car."
The Camry is Toyota's top seller, followed by the Corolla.
Toyota routinely tells local officials about its decisions before they are ever published or broadcast, said Randy Kelley, executive director of the Three Rivers Planning and Development District.
"Toyota just informed me that there were no facts behind the statements made in Bloomberg," Kelley said Thursday.
"In fact, just last Friday their vice president over operations introduced the marketing people for Toyota and said it was not a matter of if it's going to build vehicles here, it's a matter of when."