Toyota invests $125 million in Blue Springs plant for hybrid Corolla production
The Blue Springs plant will be the first U S plant to make the electrified Corolla
BLUE SPRINGS, MISS. (WCBI) – The investment follows a shift in manufacturing strategy and will add hybrid electric Corolla production. It means the Blue Springs plant will be the first Toyota plant in the U S to make electrified Corollas.
‘ The hybrids are really popular right now, and the fact that we will build them here in Mississippi is really exciting for all of us here,” said Aaron Foster, manufacturing vice president at Toyota Mississippi. He said modifications inside the plant will take some time and will be ongoing as team members are making corollas with internal combustion engines.
“A lot of the 125 million will go toward expanding our lines, creating room for the equipment, building the battery itself, we will bring the battery in, and do some work on the battery, and then place it in the car. Equipment to do that takes some space,” Foster said.
Foster said Toyota’s strategy is driven by customer demand.
“That is why we didn’t go all in on electrification, when everybody else did, because we wanted the customer to drive our product, so currently we are projecting about 90 thousand making Hybrids here,” he said.
Toyota Mississippi expects its first hybrid Corolla to roll off the assembly line in early 2028.
