Toyota announces plans to manufacture hybrid vehicles and batteries in Turkey. The second-gen Toyota C-HR, set to be offered as both a hybrid and plug-in hybrid, will be produced at the Sakarya facility, which will also be the automaker’s first European plant with a battery production line.
The new battery assembly line at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Turkey (TMMT) is expected to have an annual capacity of 75,000 units and is set to begin operations in December 2023, creating 60 jobs.
The investment in the facility, which will also require adaptation of other production facilities, is estimated to be 317 million euros. This move by Toyota is a crucial step in their European electrification plan, according to Marvin Cooke, Executive Vice President Manufacturing of Toyota Motor Europe.
See also: Ford Otosan Starts Production of Ford E-Transit All-Electric Van in Turkey
Although technical specifications of the compact SUV are yet to be revealed, it has been confirmed that the model will only be offered as a hybrid and plug-in hybrid. The December 2022 unveiling of the C-HR Prologue concept, a preview of the second-gen C-HR, offered a design outlook. The latest Prius generation, unveiled in November 2022, may offer hints of the technology to be used.
“In this project, which reveals TMMT’s high-quality vehicle production experience and advanced engineering ability, we will implement our responsibilities with great dedication. This represents an exciting step forward for TMMT’s future as it continues to produce popular attractive and high quality models. This project once again confirms that our production facility in Sakarya is a globally important place for Toyota. I am proud to share this important milestone on behalf of our employees and valuable suppliers. As one team, we will continue to contribute to Sakarya and Turkish economy by working together with all our energy.” said Erdoğan Şahin, Toyota Motor Manufacturing Turkey President & CEO
“We are proud to announce that TMMT will produce the second-generation Toyota C-HR including the first plug-in hybrid vehicle in Europe. The outstanding performance and dedication which our TMMT employees deliver will make this new model a great success, just like its predecessor. It also marks another important milestone with the start of our first battery assembly line in Europe, which is an important step in our European electrification plan” said Marvin Cooke, Toyota Motor Europe Executive Vice President Manufacturing
