TMMF started production of the Toyota Yaris in January 2001 with an initial annual production capacity of 150,000 units. The Yaris became the most produced single model in France seven times over 10 years. Since its introduction in 2021, the Yaris Cross has quickly established its strong position in the fast-growing European B-SUV market, and was the most produced single model in France in 2022 and 2023. The Yaris Cross now leads the European B-SUV segment and is Toyota’s top-selling model, with sales of 173,209 units in the first 10 months of 2024.

In 2023, the Valenciennes plant produced 273,788 units of both Yaris Cross and Yaris, the largest output amongst Toyota’s five vehicle assembly facitilies across Europe. 5,000 employees produce more than 1,200 Yaris Cross and Yaris vehicles every day, all of which are the hybrid versions. Toyota has made a total cumulative investment of 1.6 billion euros in TMMF’s facilities, including the capital investments for each new generation and model, as well as significant resources for continuously improving the manufacturing operation’s environmental performance.

During Tokyo 2020, Toyota observed that some cycling teams used different national flag accessories to identify their team cars during the races. To improve this at Paris 2024, Toyota proposed equipping all cycling team cars with stickers of national flags. These stickers, along with additional markings on the front and back of each vehicle, not only enhance visibility but also promote a sense of unity and identity among the teams.

At the heart of this initiative lies Toyota’s commitment to continuous improvement and athlete support. TMUK played a pivotal role in this journey, providing 80 Cycling Corolla TS hybrid vehicles and overseeing the meticulous sticker application process. This collaboration underscores Toyota’s commitment to quality and safety, ensuring that every vehicle equipped with enhanced safety features meets the highest standards and is easily recognized by the cyclists during the races.

Toyota remains dedicated to supporting athletes, prioritising their safety and well-being. As the excitement of the Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024 Games unfolds, athletes will experience first-hand the benefits of Toyota’s innovative safety measures, reaffirming Toyota’s commitment to their support.

*NAMI is a Russian Federal State Unitary Enterprise known as “Central Scientific Research Automobile and Automotive Engines Institute”

The start of production of 5^th generation hybrid engines and transmissions follows the upgrade of seven production lines supported by new investments of €77million and €541 thousand ⁽¹⁾ at the plants in Poland and the UK respectively.

TMMP produces hybrid electric transmissions including the MG1 and MG2 motors, integral electrical components of hybrid transmission.⁽²⁾ These products will be combined with the new 1.8 litre gasoline engine produced at TMUK to form the 5^th generation hybrid electric powertrain.

This 5th generation Toyota hybrid technology has lighter, more compact and higher-powered electric motors, which increases the electric drive ratio in the hybrid system. As a result of improved engine calibrations, the vehicle has more power, better overall performance and drivability resulting in lower  CO₂ emissions for the 1.8 litre version. The total power of hybrid drive system with the 1.8 litre engine is 140hp, reducing the 0-100km/h acceleration time by 1.7 seconds, to 9.2 seconds.⁽³⁾  

The new 5^th generation hybrid electric powertrain replaces the 4th generation systems previously produced at TMMP and TMUK since 2018 and 2016 respectively. During this time TME has accelerated its investments in hybrid technology, and in the last four years, the overall electrified mix in the total Toyota’s European sales has grown from 30% to 66%.

⁽¹⁾               GBP 465,000 and PLN 360 million

⁽²⁾               The MG1 is an auxiliary motor, called “generator” which acts as a starter for the gasoline engine, generates electricity to power the MG2 motor and charges battery. The MG2 is the main electric motor that drives the wheels using current generated by the MG1 and the battery. It also recoups part of kinetic energy generated by breaking and deceleration, so the hybrid drive consumes less fuel compared to a conventional drive

⁽³⁾               All data is tentative and subject for homologation

Toyota Motor Manufacturing UK (TMUK) marked 30 years of production at its engine plant in Deeside, North Wales, on Friday (7 October), welcoming guests to the plant for a showcase of its operations and an insight into its progress towards achieving carbon neutral production within the next few years. 

The First Minister of Wales Mark Drakeford, UK Government Wales Minister David TC Davies and Matt Harrison, President and CEO of Toyota Motor Europe joined members of the Senedd, Alyn and Deeside MP Mark Tami, representatives from local authorities, organisations and businesses, suppliers and community representatives for the occasion, which included the planting of a cherry tree to mark the anniversary. 

TMUK Deeside came on line in September 1990, initially to supply engines to the company’s new car plant at Burnaston in Derbyshire. Together, the two facilities established Toyota’s first fully owned manufacturing operations in Europe. Since that time, Deeside’s activities have expanded and embraced new technologies, benefiting to date from £360 million investment. Notably in 2010 it became the first location for the manufacture of Toyota hybrid engines outside Japan. 

Today it directly employs more than 600 people and supports many more jobs in its network of local and national suppliers. Low emission hybrid and petrol engines are produced both for TMUK Burnaston and for export to Toyota production centres worldwide, including Turkey and South Africa. With Toyota’s continued development of highly efficient electrified powertrains, Deeside is commencing production of engines featuring fifth generation hybrid technology. This year it is on course to build more than 250,000 units, taking its historic total to more than five million. 

Its production profile reflects Toyota’s multi-technology approach to de-carbonising mobility, a strategy that embraces hybrid electric, plug-in hybrid electric, battery electric and fuel cell electric vehicles. This range of electrification solutions is helping accelerate reduction in carbon emissions while ensuring that widely differing user requirements can be met. Visitors to TMUK Deeside were able to view vehicles and systems using these technologies that are being brought to the market today, including the all-new Toyota bZ4X battery electric SUV and Toyota’s hydrogen fuel cell vehicle, Mirai. 

TMUK Deeside is proud to be in the forefront of Toyota’s global efforts to achieve zero carbon emissions from its business operations and help create a sustainable mobility future for all, with no one left behind. Established as one of the company’s global Eco Plants, it has successfully identified and introduced methods for reducing energy consumption and sourcing renewable energy on-site. Eighty per cent of waste from its production processes is recycled and reused to generate electricity and green hydrogen. These and other measures, together with the co-operation of its partner and supplier businesses and other stakeholders, put TMUK Deeside on course to achieve carbon neutral production by 2025.

Toyota has decided to end vehicle production at its Saint Petersburg plant in Russia.

On March 4th we had to suspend manufacturing operations at our plant in Saint Petersburg due to the interruption in supply of key materials and parts. Since then, we have been closely monitoring the situation and evaluating the future sustainability of our business in Russia.

During this period, we have fully retained our workforce and ensured our facility was ready to re-start production if the circumstances allowed. However, after six months, we have not been able to resume normal activities and see no indication that we can re-start in the future.

The decision to terminate production of Toyota vehicles in Russia is not one that we have taken lightly. Over the last 80 years we have developed our business and our brand with the support of stakeholders around the world.  We must now act in a way that allows us to protect the values and principles that our predecessors built up and be confident that we can pass them on to the next generation.

We have also determined that our operations in Moscow need to be optimised and restructured – with the clear objective of retaining an effective organisation to continue supporting the retail network in providing ongoing service to existing Toyota and Lexus customers in Russia.

We would like to thank our employees for their hard work and loyalty. In recognition of their valued contribution, we will be offering them assistance for re-employment, re-skilling and well-being, including financial support above legal requirements.

For more information, please contact:

Mr Robert Tickner - robert.tickner@toyota-europe.com

Mr Paul Greaves - paul.greaves@toyota-europe.com

Mr Naoki Yonekawa - naoki.yonekawa@toyota-europe.com

Aygo X is the third generation of Toyota’s A-segment model, an urban crossover which started production in March at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Czech (TMMCZ) along with Toyota Yaris. The all-new model was conceived and designed in Europe for European customers at Toyota’s design centres at ED2 in Nice (France) and in Brussels (Belgium) and uses the Toyota New Global Architecture (GA-B) platform.

Aygo X is a compact car, yet fully equipped with the latest range of Toyota Safety Sense driver aid technologies as standard across all versions for the first time. It offers, among other things, advanced LED lights, at least six airbags, Toyota Smart Connect which is always connected and offers connected services such as cloud-based navigation through constantly updated live route information and road events as well as wireless Apple CarPlay® and Android Auto®.   It is also highly efficient  when it comes to fuel consumption due to its 1-litre 3-cylinder 1KR-FE engine available in manual or S-CVT transmissions.

As a company with operations in Ukraine and Russia, our priority in dealing with this crisis is to ensure the safety of all our team members, retailer staff, and supply chain partners.

We are also monitoring global developments and will make necessary decisions as required.

The business status of Toyota’s European operations is as follows:

• Toyota Ukraine has stopped all activities as of 24 February (Toyota Ukraine = sales and after sales operations; 37 retail locations; distributor owned by Sumitomo Corp.)
   
•  Toyota Motor Russia will stop production at its St-Petersburg plant from 4 March and has stopped imports of vehicles, until further notice, due to supply chain disruptions (Toyota Russia = sales and after sales operations; 168 retail locations; and one plant in St Petersburg manufacturing RAV4 and Camry models for the Russian market with exports to Belarus, Kazakhstan and Armenia)
   
• Other manufacturing and sales operations in the rest of Europe are not impacted.

Toyota affiliates in countries bordering Ukraine have already taken concrete actions to support Ukrainian employees and their families, including facilitating the transfer of close family members from Ukraine to other destinations with the provision of accommodation, food, and other support to meet their needs. Further humanitarian support is being planned and will be announced in due course. 

Toyota started localising production of electrified mobility drives in 2018, lining off the 1.8L e-CVT transaxle for the 4th generation hybrid powertrain at TMMP’s Wałbrzych site. Three years on, with a strong focus on the future of electrified mobility, Toyota continued to invest in the European production of electrification powertrain components, as well as the latest generation of engines built on the Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA).

Today, the company has three production lines each for TNGA hybrid engines and hybrid transaxles in Poland, which translates to a hybrid capacity increase of 76%. TMMP production line-up has also expanded to the motor generators which are an integral part of the hybrid electric transmission.

Employment at TMMP is now 3,300 on two production sites in Walbrzych and Jecz-Lazkowice, Lower Silesia, near the German and Czech borders.

This transformation is driven by two factors: Toyota’s commitment to carbon neutrality and increasing customer demand for affordable carbon-reducing hybrid vehicles.

Towards the goal of zero-emission mobility, Toyota is preparing a full line-up of battery electric vehicles. In Europe, the company aims to be ready to reduce tailpipe emissions of its new car sales by 100% by 2035, provided the charging or refuelling infrastructure for zero-emission vehicles is available and customer demand follows. In the meantime, hybrid vehicles can reduce CO2 emissions significantly, and indeed, hybrid sales have been very strong for Toyota and Lexus across Europe – enabling Toyota Motor Europe to increase its market share whilst posting industry-leading fleet CO2 reduction.

In the last three years, while TMMP advanced its transformation, Toyota’s hybrid electric sales achieved remarkable growth - the hybrid mix increased from 30% to 60% in total European sales, and reached 70% in the Western Europe. Toyota’s hybrid growth in Poland has been equally strong – both hybrid sales volume and hybrid mix doubled, and the hybrid mix stands at over 55% today. The hybrid market in Poland has almost tripled, and almost 70% of Polish hybrid customers have picked a Toyota hybrid vehicle so far this year.

Globally, Toyota sold more than 18 million hybrid electrified vehicles 1997 to July 2021, realising equivalent of CO2 emissions reduction by 5.5 million battery electric vehicles.

TMMP’s hybrid engine & transmission production capacity

Projects related to hybrid technology implemented in TMMP factories

TNGA architecture

Toyota New Global Architecture is the global architecture in which all new Toyota models are currently designed. This platform stands for common principles for the construction of individual chassis types and bodies, as well as drivetrains for various models. Its characteristic feature is a lower center of gravity and a stiffer car body, which translates into a high level of passive safety and greater driving comfort. From the production side, TNGA means designing automated production lines, and thus higher efficiency, a modular structure of the line enabling the production of various types of components or drives on one production line, as well as better work ergonomics and lower environmental impact.

Toyota Motor Manufacturing Poland (TMMP)

TMMP has two plants located in Lower Silesia. The factory in Wałbrzych produces hybrid electric transmissions for low-emission hybrid cars with a 1.8-liter engine, 1-liter gasoline engines as well as manual and semi-automatic transmissions. Its current annual production capacity is 525,000 hybrid electric transmissions, 413,000 engines and 633,000 transmissions. The plant in Jelcz-Laskowice produces 1.5 L and 2.0 L TNGA gasoline engines, and its production capacity is 312 thousand engines per year. TMMP factories supply assembly plants of Toyota cars and the PSA Group and Lotus companies, operated by European companies in the Czech Republic, Great Britain, France, Turkey and Russia, and outside Europe: in South Africa and Japan. 

The introduction of a second model marks an important milestone for TMMCZ (formerly TPCA) after it transferred into the full ownership of Toyota Motor Europe in January 2021. Toyota has invested over €180M, transforming the plant to produce A and B segment vehicles on its TNGA B-platform (Toyota New Global Architecture). The plant’s capacity is now expanded, and three shift operations have been introduced for the ramp-up of Yaris and the introduction of new Aygo X in 2022.

Toyota’s investment also enables the production of hybrid electric vehicles at TMMCZ, reflecting the success of the Yaris Hybrid, which represents 80% of Yaris European sales mix. The hybrid electric powertrains for both TMMCZ and TMMF are manufactured at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Poland.

Today, half a century later, Toyota has invested more than €10Bn in its production plants across Europe and now has a significant manufacturing footprint across the continent. True to its philosophy of ‘build where you sell’, Toyota opened engine and car plants in the UK in the early 1990s and has since expanded to France, Turkey, the Czech Republic, Poland and Russia, a total of nine sites. Its European manufacturing operations have a cumulative production of over 13 million vehicles, directly employing around 22,000 people and providing business worth over €6 billion to a network of around 400 European suppliers. Throughout this time, Toyota has always strived to be a socially responsible employer by working closely with the local communities where it operates.

All of Toyota’s best-selling European models – AYGO, Yaris, Corolla, Toyota C-HR and RAV4 – are built in Europe. Overall output has expanded to approximately 800K cars per year boosted by the recent launch of Yaris Cross. Toyota was an early starter in producing electrified vehicles in Europe when Auris Hybrid rolled off the line at TMUK in 2010. Today, around 59% of total European volume of all vehicles sold by Toyota and Lexus in Europe are hybrids, the majority built in Europe by Europeans.

Designed and developed to meet the needs of European customers in the B-segment SUV market, the projected powertrain mix of the new Yaris Cross is expected to be made up predominantly by the low CO₂ emission hybrid version, in line with the company’s plans for a 90% electrification mix by 2025.

Yaris Cross is the second model to be based on Toyota’s GA-B compact car platform and the 8th TNGA (Toyota New Global Architecture) model to be made in Europe*. Its start of production also marks further progress of Toyota’s localisation strategy.

Toyota’s vision for European localisation has further expanded this year, as Toyota Motor Manufacturing Poland (TMMP) started production of hybrid electric transmissions and electric motors, supplying the 1.5-litre TNGA petrol engine and full hybrid powertrain for both the Toyota Yaris and Yaris Cross.

Toyota has also invested to increase capacity and modernise its Toyota Motor Manufacturing Czech Republic (TMMCZ) plant in preparation for start of production of the Yaris, which was named The Car of the Year 2021, to satisfy increased demand.

The introduction of Yaris Cross production has brought the total employment at TMMF to almost 5,000.

* Toyota Motor Manufacturing France (Yaris and Yaris Cross), Toyota Motor Manufacturing Turkey (Toyota C-HR and Corolla Sedan), Toyota Motor Manufacturing UK in Burnaston (Corolla Hatchback and Touring Sports) and Toyota Motor Russia (Camry and RAV4)

The Czech plant has already been prepared for the Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA) for the production of the new Toyota Yaris, and with the upcoming A-segment model, the site will introduce a second TNGA based model, using the GA-B platform.

The new A-segment model is a European car in every sense, from development to production. It underlines the company’s commitment to expand European production following its recent announcement to grow to 1.5M sales in Europe by 2025.

The name of the new A-segment car, volume plans, and timing of introduction are to be announced at a future date. 

Demand for Toyota’s best-selling Yaris is at an all-time high, the B-segment model which made up over 20% of Toyota’s European sales last year, is manufactured at Toyota Motor Manufacturing France (TMMF) and from later this year at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Czech. TMMP’s output of hybrid electric powertrains will receive another boost when the new Yaris Cross begins production later in 2021, also at TMMF.

TMMP’s latest expansion forms a key part of Toyota Motor Europe’s strategy to further localize the production of hybrid electric drives to help meet the company’s ambition of selling 1.4M vehicles a year by 2025, 90% of sales will have electrified powertrains for its hybrids, plug-in hybrids, battery electric and fuel cell vehicles. As part of its increased European investment, TME has expanded TMMP’s Wałbrzych Plant to accommodate a new casting line, additional processing lines and a new assembly line.

At the same time, TMMP also begins the first European production of the MG1 electric motor which forms an integral part of the hybrid electric transmissions, and to meet the increased demand for hybrids, the Wałbrzych plant will launch a twin production line for hybrid electric transmissions in autumn 2021. From 2022, it will start a second production line of 1.5L TNGA gasoline engines, effectively doubling TMMP’s hybrid electric powertrain production capacity for Toyota Yaris and Yaris Cross models.

Once these new projects are fully up to speed in 2022, the factories in Wałbrzych and Jelcz-Laskowice will have a total of six production lines for the main hybrid components, including three lines of hybrid electric transmissions and three lines of TNGA combustion engines.

This increased localisation of production of hybrid electric components in Europe follows TMMP’s establishment of a Hybrid Drives Testing and Evaluation Department in 2020. Including the recently completed projects , the level of investments in both plants will increase to almost PLN 6 billion (or c. €1.3 billion) by the end of 2022, enabling a production capacity of 1.65 million components per year and employment to over 3,000 people.

Toyota's low-emission hybrid technology

Hybrid cars use two sources of power - gasoline and electric. During braking, the kinetic energy of the hybrid car is recovered and converted into electricity, thanks to which the vehicle consumes less fuel. Toyota sees hybrid technology as an important step towards full electrified mobility. Toyota’s hybrid technology reduces emissions, fuel consumption providing an accessible and affordable mobility solution for its customers. Toyota has located in Poland the first center for production and development of hybrid drives in the world outside of Asia. It supplies the hybrid electric transmissions and the associated TNGA hybrid gasoline engines for the group's low-emission vehicles manufactured in Europe.

Projects related to hybrid technology implemented in Polish Toyota factories

TNGA architecture

Toyota New Global Architecture is the global architecture in which all new Toyota models are currently designed. This platform stands for common principles for the construction of individual chassis types and bodies, as well as drivetrains for various models. Its characteristic feature is a lower center of gravity and a stiffer car body, which translates into a high level of passive safety and greater driving comfort. From the production side, TNGA means designing automated production lines, and thus higher efficiency, a modular structure of the line enabling the production of various types of components or drives on one production line, as well as better work ergonomics and lower environmental impact.

Toyota Motor Manufacturing Poland (TMMP)

TMMP has two plants located in Lower Silesia. The factory in Wałbrzych produces hybrid electric transmissions for low-emission hybrid cars with a 1.8-liter engine, 1-liter gasoline engines as well as manual and semi-automatic transmissions. Its current annual production capacity is 350,000 hybrid electric transmissions , 258,000 engines and 633,000 transmissions. The plant in Jelcz-Laskowice produces 1.5 L and 2.0 l TNGA gasoline engines, and its production capacity is 312 thousand engines per year. TMMP factories supply assembly plants of Toyota cars and the PSA Group and Lotus companies, operated by European companies in the Czech Republic, Great Britain, France, Turkey and Russia, and outside Europe: in South Africa and Japan.

Challenging 2020

Whilst 2020 shows outstanding sales results, it was also a year in which the Yaris production at Toyota Motor Manufacturing France (TMMF) was seriously put to the test. TME Executive Vice President Marvin Cooke, who oversees Manufacturing across Europe, looks back:

‘Ever-better’ approach

At many stages, the preparations for the new Yaris have been challenging as production of Yaris 3 continued in parallel with a large plant make-over to prepare for Yaris 4. Cooke remembers:

Customer’s wish is TMMF’s command

One of the major improvements with a direct impact on the car’s driving dynamics was the body rigidity: the number of welding points was increased by 9%. In the Welding shop, more than 70% of the robotics fleet was replaced or updated, resulting in a gain of ergonomy, precision and productivity. Some of the welding for example can carry on whilst the car is moving on the line. Thanks to connectivity, robots are now better maintained and any malfunction is detected more quickly.

With many customers choosing a Yaris bi-tone version, a lot of attention went into boosting the capacity for this option in the Paint shop by shortening the process time. Here, more robots allow for most of the cars to only have to pass through the paint booth once instead of twice. Adding to customers’ peace of mind, a completely new and automated process was engineered to apply the anti-corrosion coating to the underbody and more easily reach less accessible cavities.

Growing within existing boundaries

Although some shops were expanded, with the Plastics shop even doubling in space, the overall compactness of the 180 km² plant was safeguarded – a critical aspect of TMMF since Day One, and one that makes the plant in Northern France particularly efficient.

With the new Yaris, a greater number of plastics parts are made inhouse. Main benefits for the company - quality output control up, logistics costs down – have been paired with societal gains thanks to reduced transportation emissions.

The new plastics paint line has also been designed with the environment in mind.

Yaris takes Europe by storm, gets a second manufacturing site and a crossover sister

Yaris success is deeply rooted in Europe.

TMMF historically is home to the Yaris production and has seen cumulative production rise to over four million units, spanning four generations since its establishment in 2001.

In addition to TMMF, Toyota Motor Manufacturing Czech Republic (TMMCZ) will start producing the Yaris later this year. TMMCZ is the former Toyota Peugeot Citroën Automobile plant which was renamed after TME took full ownership on 1^st January 2021. Toyota Motor Manufacturing Poland (TMMP) is the unit plant supplying the Yaris (hybrid) engines and transmissions to both TMMF and TMMCZ.

Besides a strong manufacturing commitment to Yaris in Europe, the region also hosts a large European supplier base, design and styling activities at its ED² centre in the south of France as well as R&D, Production Engineering and Supplier Support and Purchasing at TME’s Technical Centre in Zaventem, near Brussels. This means the new Yaris is not just manufactured in France but has been extensively tested and developed on European roads, for Europeans and by Europeans.

Solidarity down the line

With close to 5,000 employees and a cumulative investment of 1.5 billion euro, TMMF is an important employer in the north of France. It represents a strong industrial foothold whilst attracting a local supply chain in a region that was once marked by high unemployment but was reborn thanks in part to the support it gave to the TMMF project since the start, twenty years ago.

More than 400,000 masks have been produced inhouse in a minifactory installed within TMMF’s premises in the second quarter of 2020. 3D printers were operational non stop to produce face shields and adaptors for medical pipe cleaning. Engineers provided knowhow in the search to provide ventilation to two adults simultaneously, at a time when needs were high and hospitals were in short supply.

The new name of Toyota Motor Manufacturing Czech Republic was unveiled today at an opening ceremony with the participation of Mr. Koreatsu Aoki, President of the Toyota plant, Mr. Martin Peleška, director of Toyota Czech Republic and Michael Kašpar, Mayor of Kolín. In line with its new corporate identity, the plant also introduced a new company logo and, following the example of other European plants, will be known as TMMCZ.

The Kolin plant has been producing the A-segment models Toyota Aygo, Peugeot 108 and Citroën C1 cars since 2005 and TMMCZ will continue to do so for both companies. The plant is one of the largest exporters in Czech Republic for these city cars, characterized by their reliability, low fuel consumption and emissions. The company which employs more than 3,500 people, is the largest employer in the region and has influenced the development of the Kolín region in the past fifteen years, not only by creating thousands of jobs, but also by supporting charitable projects.

Toyota invested more than 4 billion crowns in capacity expansion and modernization of the production plant. This investment has enabled the introduction of Toyota’s New Global Architecture (TNGA) allowing the plant to start manufacturing the new Toyota Yaris, including hybrid technology in the second half of 2021.

The Toyota family has a strong presence in the Czech Republic, with the National Sales and Marketing company, Toyota Central Europe Czech, in Prague, the Logistics and Distribution Center for Spare Parts in Krupka and, of course, a wide representation of Toyota and Lexus dealers, aside TMMCZ.

Since its launch back in 1999 and winning the Car of the Year in 2000, Yaris has become an overwhelming success for Toyota, both in sales volume and in raising the brand's profile. Steadily growing from year to year, in 2019 the third-generation model achieved around 224,000 sales in Europe, accounting for around 22% of Toyota's European business and a segment share of just less than 8%.

The four millionth Yaris made in Europe is a fourth-generation model and features a fourth-generation Toyota Hybrid System to deliver the lowest fuel consumption and CO2 emissions in the segment [3.7l/100km and 85 g/km (WLTP)]. Toyota's engineers achieved this result whilst ensuring higher power (116 DIN hp) and greater fun to drive than the previous generation model.

The engineering team also maintained its safety DNA by making the new Yaris the safest car in its segment. In passive safety, Toyota received the 2020 SAFETYBEST award for the development and standard fitment of centre airbags in Yaris – a first in the European B-segment. Toyota's best-selling car also comes with the latest version of Toyota Safety Sense, including a number of segment-first active features as standard.

Looking forward, Yaris Cross will soon begin production alongside Yaris at TMMF.

TMMF has become the fourth plant in Europe to have introduced TNGA-based vehicle production after Toyota Motor Manufacturing Turkey (Toyota C-HR and Corolla Sedan), Toyota Motor Manufacturing UK in Burnaston (Corolla Hatchback and Touring Sports) and Toyota Motor Russia (Camry and RAV4). This investment further strengthens TME’s strategy to localise production and maximise manufacturing capacity. Toyota’s localisation strategy equally encompasses production of main vehicle components: the new Yaris is equipped with the latest generation of the 1.5L TNGA engine which is also made in Europe – at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Poland.

Additional investments and a second model on the way

An additional investment of €300 million, equivalent of half of TMMF’s initial investment, has been made to enable TNGA-based vehicle production. All the shop floors have been modernised with new equipment and technologies for improved ergonomics and performance. Amongst these works, one of the major expansions took place in the plastics shop with an additional surface of 3,500m² to accommodate new injection and paint lines, which in turn allow for in-house production of new plastic parts. TMMF expects the number of its permanent employees to reach 3,600 by the end of 2020, out of a total employment of 4,800.

Bringing TNGA philosophy to the compact car segment for the first time

The Toyota Yaris is at the heart of Toyota’s European success story enjoying sustained popularity and an excellent reputation for consistent innovation. In 2019, Yaris accounted for more than 20% of Toyota’s sales in Europe (224,368 units).

Designed for Europe and built in Europe as its first generation, the all-new Yaris features completely new, condensed proportions projecting a ‘ready-to-go’ character, ‘big-small’ packaging with roomy interior despite its compact exterior and an enhanced level of driving dynamics all thanks to the TNGA GA-B platform. The latest fourth generation Hybrid system offers longer EV driving capabilities, over 20% improvement in CO² emission and fuel economy compared to the current generation*¹ and yet increased responsiveness and drivability. The car is also designed to be the world’s safest compact car equipped with segment-leading active and passive safety systems. These include Toyota Safety Sense (TSS), a set of active safety technologies designed to help prevent or mitigate collisions across a wide range of traffic situations and the world’s first centre airbag in the compact car segment.

Production in compliance with COVID-19 measures

After five weeks of controlled production suspension in line with the COVID-19 lockdown measures taken in France, TMMF resumed its operations on 22 April. The initial production volumes were kept significantly lower compared to normal operations in order to focus on our number one priority - securing the Safety and Health of our employees and stakeholders by ensuring full compliance with the new hygiene and social distancing protocols and processes. Plant management will sustain its vigilance and ensure continued implementation of the Health and Safety measures against COVID-19.

*¹: Homologated measurements of the new generation Yaris in Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicles Test Procedure (WLTP): CO2 emissions 85 g/km and fuel consumption 3.7 l/100km

The 1.5L engine is destined for the new generation Toyota Yaris (shortly to start production at Toyota Motor Manufacturing France, in Valenciennes) and the recently unveiled Yaris Cross - a new compact, B-segment SUV. Completely new TNGA production lines have been designed with a view to automate some of the processes, increase efficiency and production capacity and improve ergonomics.

Green credentials

The 1.5L engine is a strong piece of advanced engineering. This 3-cylinder gasoline unit with variable camshaft timing, working in an Atkinson cycle with up to 40% thermal efficiency, helps to reduce consumption and CO2 emissions by 20% compared to the previous Yaris generation, whilst increasing its performance by 15%. This engine can be installed in both conventional as well as hybrid electric vehicles. With 52% of TME’s sales being full hybrids in 2019, there is clearly a growing appetite for this affordable and low emission, hybrid electric technology.

Safety N°1 priority

The preparation of this new project proceeded according to schedule, even if the regular production at both sites of TMMP, in Jelcz and Walbrzych, came to a controlled stop between mid-March and 4 May, due to the COVID-19 outbreak. To ensure the health and safety of all our members and partners who remained present to implement the necessary TNGA line changes, an extensive range of preventive, sanitary measures was put in place. Our members’ safety being our highest priority, we keep on monitoring the correct and 100% compliance of these hygiene and social distancing measures and continue to review, where necessary.

A TNGA engine

Toyota New Global Architecture applies to all new Toyota models. Within the platform all individual types of chassis, bodies, and drivetrains are bound by common construction rules. The characteristics are a lower center of gravity and a more rigid body which translates into high level passive safety and comfortable driving. On the manufacturing side TNGA means more efficient automated production lines, with a modular design allowing mixed models production of different units, better ergonomics and lesser strain for the environment.

Centre of advanced hybrid technology in Poland

With a strong focus on the future of electrified mobility, TME continues to invest in the European production of electrification powertrain components at its Polish plants. Other than the 2.0L TNGA engine referenced to earlier, its sister Polish plant in Walbrzych has previously announced to start producing a new e-CVT transmission, in 2021. This brings the total cumulative investment in both TMMP plants to over €1 billion euro, creating close to 3,000 jobs in Poland.

After restarting TMUK engine plant in Deeside on May 13, Toyota’s UK vehicle plant located in Burnaston is to restart activities on May 26. Burnaston produces the Corolla Hatchback and Touring Sports and production has been suspended since March 18. TMUK Burnaston will organise two induction days for its employees to familiarise themselves with their new working environment and the measures that have been taken to address social distancing requirements, the reduction of common touchpoints and increased hygiene measures.

TPCA, Toyota’s joint venture with PSA, is home to the production of the Toyota AYGO. The Czech plant, which had previously halted production since 19 March following the COVID-19 outbreak, plans to resume its manufacturing activities on May 25. After a full induction day intended to train the members on the correct implementation of the new practices, production at TPCA is scheduled to initially start for both shifts at reduced volume before the plant gradually ramps up the number of units produced to pre-suspension levels in view of meeting customer demand.

Ready to restart

During the feasibility study, several factors were assessed and carefully evaluated before making the decision to restart operations at TPCA and TMUK Burnaston. A key condition from the outset has been to ensure the safety of our employees, contractors and visitors. An extensive range of health and safety measures have been put in place to address the required levels of hygiene and social distancing, and reassure employees returning to work.

Recently, both national and regional governments across Europe have taken tentative steps to partially ease some of the strict lockdown measures that had been introduced in an attempt to contain the COVID-19 virus. In some European countries, these circumstances permit car retailer showrooms to reopen their businesses, allowing us to react to customer demand and the developing market conditions, step by step. Supplier and logistics readiness also had to be secured in advance of a possible restart.

Safety is paramount

The health and safety of all our employees restarting on the production lines is our main concern. Additional shift time will be allocated to allow them to take the time to absorb and build confidence in the vast and detailed range of health and safety measures, which have been taken in line with national government and authorities’ recommendations and guidelines.

In the Toyota tradition of ‘Yokoten’ or ‘best practice sharing’, the health and safety protocols were shared from the other European plants as a starting point and then tuned to TPCA’s and TMUK Burnaston’s facilities. After validation by management as well as employee representatives in union and health and safety committees, these sanitary measures will continue to be reviewed and improved as required.

A non-exhaustive list of the health and safety measures:

• Floor marking to visualise social distancing

• No physical greeting allowed, limit to in-person meetings and preference to phone calls

• Clear hand sanitising instructions (wash frequently, don’t touch face)

• Face masks mandatory and adapted to type of work

• Workplace management to include closing of showers, providing additional space outside of smoking room, etc

• Limited seating in meeting areas, keep doors open and clean after meeting

• Limited catering offer in the restaurant

• Intensive disinfection and cleaning of common areas

Social contributions

As is the case for the other Toyota plants in Europe, TPCA and TMUK have also devoted resources and time to contribute to society by means of donations and onsite production of medical health devices to the benefit of local hospitals or care centres in the close neighbourhood.

• TMUK

Our plants in the UK have been supporting a number of local and national initiatives.

Toyota Motor Manufacturing UK members continue to support the National Health Service (NHS) and other support organisations, through undertaking volunteer work during this difficult time.

From the outset of the crisis, they have provided extensive supplies of Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) including gloves, hi-vis jackets, goggles, overshoes and seat covers to multiple NHS hospitals & first responder units, hospices and county councils.

For the NHS trust, TMUK has been involved with the reception, testing, repair and refurbishment of medical equipment. 3D printed visors have been provided to hospitals and care homes in England and Wales as well as the creation of a 3D printed ventilator adaptor. On a national level in collaboration with Made Here Now, TMUK is supporting the creation of respirator hoods for NHS staff.

There has also been collaboration with South Derbyshire District council in the provision of logistics support and our Quality Audit team are involved in a study to investigate the possible use of Air Bag material to create surgical gowns.

Finally, numerous donations and specific vehicle loans have been made to local charities with causes ranging from foodbanks to mental health.

• TPCA

At the beginning of the outbreak, when the needs were high, TPCA has donated and financed the purchase of personal protective equipment such as 35 pieces of protective eyewear for the fire brigade of the city of Kolin as well as over 2,500 face masks to be given to senior citizens and the local hospital.

In addition, TPCA assisted the city by providing 30 respirators and 5.5 litres of disinfectant liquids.

Lastly, as the Kolin city firebrigade serves as the central hub for the distribution of disinfectants in the region, TPCA has given them a forklift on loan to facilitate these logistics operations.

TMMT, Toyota’s vehicle plant located in Sakarya, Turkey, will first welcome its team members on May 11 and use the initial day as an induction to the new protocols put in place to ensure their safety and good understanding of the new work environment. Production will then start at reduced volume on May 12 before gradually ramping up in the following days and weeks in response to developing market conditions. TMMT produces the Toyota C-HR and Corolla Sedan.

As it manufactures petrol and hybrid engines for TMMT’s vehicles, Toyota’s engine plant located in Wales (UK), Toyota Motor Manufacturing UK Deeside will also restart production next week. It will follow the same step-by-step approach including two days of induction and familiarisation to the new safety protocols, social distancing and hygiene measures that have been put in place, after which production will gradually resume as of May 13.

Restart decision

The decision to restart these two production operations is based on various considerations but fundamental has been the ability to ensure the sites’ safety by implementing thorough and detailed hygiene and social distancing recommendations.

Another factor considered is the start of easing of lockdown measures announced by various European countries’ or regional governments, which will also make possible a reopening of car retailer showrooms in some countries and a restart of new vehicle sales – but on a gradual basis. Supply chain readiness has also been secured.

Production had been suspended since 18 March at TMUK Deeside and 21 March at TMMT, following the acceleration of the coronavirus in various European countries and the associated “lock-down” measures taken by various national and regional authorities, an uncertain short-term sales outlook and difficulties in logistics and supply chains.

For the moment, production at Toyota’s other manufacturing sites in Europe, namely TMUK Burnaston (Corolla hatchback and Touring Sport), Toyota Peugeot Citroen Automobiles (Toyota AYGO) and Toyota Motor Russia St. Petersburg (Camry and RAV4), remains suspended based on vehicle demand and stock or government lockdown measures. However, readiness preparations and planning are under way for a production restart in the coming weeks.

Priority to safety

Production at TMMT and TMUK-D is to restart progressively, on reduced volumes, which will help prioritise the health and safety of employees and other partners. The experience gained after a successful restart of production activities at TME’s plants in France and Poland served as a blueprint and was adjusted to local authorities’ recommendations and the specificities of each worksite.

A detailed list of sanitary measures has been put in place, in line with authorities’ recommendations and guidelines. These have been validated by management and employee representative bodies and will be continuously audited, reviewed and improved as required. Sufficient time will be taken to inform employees of the strict hygiene protocols and to allow them to develop the confidence to operate in these new working conditions.

The health and safety protocols include (non-exhaustive list):

• Keeping to recommended social distance where this has been feasible, by respecting floor marking and one way traffic signage, and implementing additional measures in other instances
• Frequent and thorough hand sanitising and/or washing
• Mandatory use of masks (distributed onsite)
• Increased cleaning frequency of shared facilities
• Detailed plant preparation for the ‘new normal’ and thorough simulations of the new measures
• Adaptation of work schedules to avoid large gathering of people and reduce crossings
• No or limited catering offer at restaurant, disposable cutlery only
• Benchmarking with local automotive industry

Social contributions

During the production suspension period, all of Toyota’s manufacturing plants have maintained onsite project work such as maintenance activities, equipment upgrade, and future project preparations.

Plants also actively contributed to supporting their surrounding communities’ health services.

• TMMT has contributed to society building on its manufacturing skills and expertise. TMMT not only donated 30,000 face masks and 7,500 face covers to local hospitals in Sakarya and Istanbul, but TMMT members also produced in-house 13 medical testing booths and donated them to hospitals. These booths allow medical staff to test people for the coronavirus without coming into contact with them. A donation to enable the purchase of four ventilators by a Sakarya hospital was also made.

• Our plants in the UK have been supporting a number of local and national initiatives. For the NHS trust, TMUK has been involved with the reception, testing, repair and refurbishment of medical equipment. 3D printed visors have been provided to hospitals and care homes in England and Wales as well as the creation of a 3D printed ventilator adaptor. On a national level in collaboration with Made Here Now, TMUK is supporting the creation of respirator hoods for NHS staff. Numerous donations have been made to local charities with causes ranging from foodbanks to mental health.Specifically at TMUK in Deeside, contributions includes the supply of visual manning boards for control in a local hospital, on top of the provision of personal protective equipment and hand sanitiser to local Council and care homes. They also offered logistics support to local supermarkets and donated to food banks in the region to support those most in need.

TMMF is home to the production of the compact Toyota Yaris, whilst TMMP produces the related engine and transmission units. TMMF will resume production on limited volume from 22 April, following the suspension of operations since 17 March. Closely linked to TMMF’s operations, TMMP is also preparing for production on reduced volumes, following TMMF demand.

Restart at gradual pace

TMMF will resume operations at a gradual pace, initially producing significantly lower volumes compared to normal operations. This cautious approach has been taken with a view to secure the safety and health of our employees and stakeholders, which is our number one priority. TMMF will commence on a single shift from the usual 3-shift strategy, for the first two weeks.

The decision to restart part of our economic activities at some of our European manufacturing operations has been taken in consideration of the national and local governments’ guidance and recommendations, in preparation for deliveries of vehicles ordered by customers. As part of a thorough feasibility study and in consultation with all internal stakeholders represented in the Safety and Health & Social and Economic Committees, the decision to proceed with the restart has received the approval after fully meeting the conditions to do so in a safe manner.

It is understood that the best way to restart is under no volume pressure, with focus on Health and Safety as well as member training/awareness.

With this principle in mind, the gradual and controlled ramp up allows for a proper and smooth management of operations whilst keeping 100% within the sanitary protocols. Plant management will focus on ensuring members are fully aware, and checks will be put in place to guarantee implementation. Additionally, continuous improvements will be made to the current set of standards, as required.

Moving forward, we will continue to base our decisions on the guidance we receive from authorities in each country and region – pursuing our drive to contribute to society through safe employment.

Safety and security measures to be implemented

In addition to the basic social distancing guidelines – including marking of specific distances within the facilities floor shop, some of the concrete Health and Safety protocols that will be implemented include:

1/ Members receive a welcome pack that includes a detailed brief on the new sanitary guidelines at the different facilities

2/ Distribution of appropriate number of individual masks and antibacterial gel, in addition to other necessary Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) depending of the type and conditions of their work (e.g. gloves and face shields) – all secured for the restart of the operation from day 1.

3/ Briefings and meetings will be held in smaller groups, respecting the distancing, and reduced in time

4/ Antibacterial gel dispensers will be located at strategic spots

5/ Doors will be kept open, where possible – if not, allow for opening using elbow only will be possible

6/ The restaurant will be closed, members will be asked to bring their own food

7/ Additional cleaning of spaces where people gather, such as cloakroom and break-out rooms

8/ Breaks will be reorganised to respect social distancing

TMMF and TMMP social contribution activities

So far, TMMF has donated over 34,000 face masks and 176 pieces of 3D printed face shields to local hospitals. It is also delivers engineering support for ventilators to be used by 2 adults simultaneously.

The social contribution activities of TMMP include the donation of 4,000 masks, 200 L of disinfecting liquid and 194 pieces of face guards.

We make decisions based on the safety and security of our employees and stakeholders and in consideration of those currently dealing with this outbreak. We will continue to take action in a timely manner in this very dynamic situation. Moving forward, we will continue to base our decisions on the guidance we receive from authorities in each country and region.

General measures

Across Europe, Toyota entities have implemented a series of measures in line with health authorities’ recommendations in support of their efforts to prevent or slow down the spread of COVID-19, such as: additional hygiene, and cleaning measures; information sharing; request to work from home for office staff; travel restrictions; elimination or postponement of non-essential events or meetings; and social distancing.

Production operations

With the acceleration of the coronavirus in various European countries or regions and the associated “lock-down” measures taken by various national and regional authorities, an uncertain short-term sales outlook and difficulties in logistics and supply chains are being felt and will increase in the next weeks.

TME has consequently decided to organise a progressive suspension of its vehicle and engines/transmissions production plants in Europe starting on 18 March until further notice.

The plants affected will be:

- Toyota Motor Manufacturing France (TMMF) in Onnaing – production already suspended

- Toyota Motor Manufacturing UK (TMUK) in Burnaston and Deeside – on 18 March

- Toyota Motor Manufacturing Poland (TMMP) in Walbrzych and Jelcz-Laskowice – on 18 March

- Toyota Peugeot Citroen Automobiles (TPCA) in Kolin, Czech Republic – on 19 March

- Toyota Motor Manufacturing Turkey (TMMT) in Sakarya – on 21 March

Other operations

Processes that are important for society, such as the continued provision of service parts for customer vehicles – which can be public safety vehicles – will continue. Likewise, processes and projects deemed essential to a smooth re-start and to the future activity of the plants, such as new vehicle projects, will be maintained with necessary staff.

Sales operations (retailer sales and service) will be assessed based on each country or region’s situation. In countries where lock-down measures are implemented by government, retailer showrooms have been completely or partially closed. All retailers will remain reachable via electronic communications and telephone for customer care.

In line with Toyota’s Environmental Challenge 2050, the Energy Observer demonstrates and shares solutions to champion an ecological and energy transition, supporting tomorrow's energy networks to make them efficient and applicable on a large scale. As the first French ambassador of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Energy Observer is detecting and promoting positive initiatives and sustainable solutions to design tomorrow's future, and to prove that a cleaner world is possible.

For the next leg in the journey, Energy Observer and Toyota have worked closely together to introduce Toyota’s leading fuel cell technology in the boat. Toyota Technical Center Europe has especially developed this fuel cell system, using components first introduced in the Toyota Mirai and fitted it into a compact module suitable for marine applications. It will deliver more power and efficiency, but also high reliability to cross the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean this year.

The R&D team in Europe managed within 7 months the design and component production, followed by the build and installation of the compact fuel cell module. This successfully demonstrates the adaptability of the Toyota fuel cell technology to a variety of applications. At the end of last year, the fuel cell module was tested in the boat in the shipyard. Currently, the final full power testing is being done at sea before the Energy Observer sails off for their 2020 Tour mid-February.

The Toyota Fuel Cell System has proven its benefits already for many years in the Mirai, but more recently also in other applications such as buses and trucks. Using it for maritime transportation is again another step closer to the development of the hydrogen society. Toyota believes that hydrogen is the catalyst for energy decarbonisation and the technology acceptance can accelerate with the Toyota Fuel Cell System modular solution, which can be considered for a multitude of applications.

The name of the new compact SUV, volume plans, and timing of introduction are to be announced at a future date. Only a stylised silhouette of the future car was shown at the event.

Thanks to the flexibility of the new GA-B platform, it can support vehicles of a different width, length, wheelbase or height.

The future vehicle will be built at Toyota Motor Manufacturing France (TMMF) in Onnaing, near Valenciennes, France, alongside the Toyota Yaris.

In the presence of the Deputy Minister of Energy, Krzysztof Kubów, the Deputy Minister of Investment & Development, Grzegorza Puda, and the President of Toyota Motor Europe, Dr. Johan van Zyl, the new line for the production of the 2.0L TNGA engine was officially inaugurated. Representing an investment of around 90 million EUR, the new production lines are built in line with Toyota’s New Global Architecture and feature advanced automated production, increased performance and improved ergonomics for the production members.

Several milestones in multi-year investment plans

2.0-litre Dynamic Force Engine TNGA

A modern, two-litre, four-cylinder TNGA engine can interact with the e-CVT in a hybrid powertrain system or operate independently in a conventional powertrain. This new Toyota Dynamic Force Engine running in the Atkinson cycle has an increased capacity, high thermal efficiency and operation at lower temperatures. As a result, a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) achieves exceptionally good NOx levels, which are 91.6% lower than the Euro 6 limit for an equivalent petrol car.

Specifically, the companies have agreed the following:

From end 2019, PSA will expand the range of commercial vehicles supplied to Toyota Motor Europe NV/SA (TME) for sale in Europe under the Toyota brand by supplying TME with a C-Van from its Vigo plant (Spain).

PSA and TME started their collaboration on mid-size light-commercial vehicles in 2012, with the Toyota PROACE produced at Groupe PSA’s Hordain plant, France.

The aim of the deepening collaboration is for both companies to use their respective strengths to offer both compact and mid-size light commercial vehicles in Europe, benefiting from development and production cost optimisation. Toyota will participate in the development and industrial investment costs for the future light-commercial vehicle.

From January 2021, Toyota will take financial ownership of the Toyota Peugeot Citroën Automobile Czech s.r.o. (TPCA) plant in Kolin (Czech Republic), the manufacturing joint venture that produces the compact A-segment models^[1][2].

The TPCA joint venture was created by PSA and TMC in 2002 and included a review clause that allowed each partner to reconsider their shareholding.

The plant will become a subsidiary of TME, joining the seven other plants Toyota already operates in Europe.

The Kolin plant will continue to produce the current generation compact A-segment models for the two companies.

Toyota intends to continue production and employment in the future at the Kolin plant.

^{[1] Peugeot 108, Citroën C1, Toyota Aygo}

^{[2] Subject to the approval of all relevant competent authorities and legal requirements}

Note to editors:

TPCA Kolin plant (Czech Republic), started operation in 2005:

Production 2017: 199 000 vehicles for the 3 brands

Models 2018: Peugeot 108, Citroën C1, Toyota Aygo

Groupe PSA’s Hordain plant (France), created in 1992:

Production 2017:135 000 vehicles for the 3 brands

Models 2018: Peugeot Expert/Traveller, Citroën Jumpy/Spacetourer and Toyota Proace

Groupe PSA’s Vigo plant (Spain), created in 1958:

Production 2017: 434 000 vehicles

Models 2018: Peugeot Partner/Rifter, Citroën Berlingo Van/Berlingo, Opel/Vauxhaul Combo,Citroën C4 Spacetourer, Citroën C Elysées and Peugeot 301.

^{About Groupe PSA}

_{Groupe PSA designs unique automotive experiences and delivers mobility solutions to meet all customer expectations. The Group has five car brands, Peugeot, Citroën, DS, Opel and Vauxhall and provides a wide array of mobility and smart services under the Free2Move brand. Its ‘Push to Pass’ strategic plan represents a first step towards the achievement of the Group’s vision to be “a global carmaker with cutting-edge efficiency and a leading mobility provider sustaining lifetime customer relationships”. An early innovator in the field of autonomous and connected cars, Groupe PSA is also involved in financing activities through Banque PSA Finance and in automotive equipment via Faurecia..}

_{Media library: medialibrary.groupe-psa.com /  @GroupePSA_EN}

_{Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) is the global mobility company that introduced the Prius hybrid-electric car in 1997 and the first mass-produced fuel cell sedan, Mirai, in 2014. Headquartered in Toyota City, Japan, Toyota has been making cars since 1937. Today, Toyota proudly employs 370,000 employees in communities around the world. Together, they build around 10 million vehicles per year in 27 countries and regions, from mainstream cars and premium vehicles to mini-vehicles and commercial trucks, and sell them in more than 170 countries and regions under the brands Toyota, Lexus, Daihatsu and Hino. For more information, please visit www.toyota-global.com.}

_{Toyota Motor Europe NV/SA (TME) oversees the wholesale sales and marketing of Toyota and Lexus vehicles, parts and accessories, and Toyota’s European manufacturing and engineering operations. Toyota directly employs around 20,000 people in Europe and has invested over EUR 9 billion since 1990. Toyota’s operations in Europe are supported by a network of 29 National Marketing and Sales Companies across 53 countries, a total of around 3,000 sales outlets, and nine manufacturing plants. In 2017, Toyota sold 1,001,662 Toyota and Lexus vehicles in Europe. For more information, visit www.toyota-europe.com}

_{Toyota Peugeot Citroën Automobile Czech s.r.o. (TPCA) is a joint venture between Toyota Motor Corporation and PSA Peugeot Citroën. Production in the plant, built in 2002 in the industrial zone of Kolín – Ovčáry, was launched in February 2005 with an initial investment of 26 billion Czech crowns. Currently, there are 2 400 people working at TPCA and the company represents one of the biggest exporters in the Czech Republic. It currently manufactures Toyota Aygo, Peugeot 108 and Citroën C1 city car models with reliability and low power consumption. TPCA employs the most environmentally-friendly technology as proven with the BAT (Best Available Techniques), which the plant was awarded along with certified environmental management EN ISO 14001:2004. Development of the Kolín region in the past ten years has been impacted not only by creating thousands of jobs in the region but has also supported charitable projects in the region. It has financially supported more than 700 projects totalling in excess of 114 million Czech crowns.”}

Media contacts:

Groupe PSA - Karine Douet – karine.douet@mpsa.com - +33 6 61 64 03 83

TPCA - Tomas Paroubek -tomas.Paroubek@tpca.cz - + 420 736 526 605

TMC – Jean-Yves Jault – jean.yves.jault@mail.toyota.co.jp - +81 80 5812 9749

TME - Sylvie Caira – sylvie.caira@toyota-europe.com - +32 2 745 22 88

Hybrid electric technology boosting Toyota’s electrification strategy

TMMP is the first Toyota plant outside of Asia and the second located outside of Japan to be entrusted with the production of Toyota’s technologically advanced hybrid transaxles. Hybrid electric transaxles coordinate the synergy between electric motors and the combustion engine. It is a core element of Toyota's hybrid electric powertrain.

Expansion of production facilities

To increase FC stack output, Toyota will move production from its current location, within one of the existing buildings at its Honsha Plant in Toyota City, to a brand-new, eight-floor high-tech facility on the same premises, near the original site of the company’s very first automobile factory in 1938.

The production of high-pressure hydrogen tanks will be handled by a new, dedicated line to be added inside the nearby Shimoyama Plant (No. 3) in Miyoshi City (Aichi Prefecture). Previously, the hydrogen tanks were assembled at the Honsha plant on a smaller scale. Toyota’s hydrogen tanks are made of extra-thick carbon fiber and are built to withstand major impacts.

Outline of the production facilities

The new facilities are expected to help significantly reduce CO₂ emissions during the production stage. This is one of the initiatives for the Plant Zero CO₂ Emissions Challenge in the Toyota Environmental Challenge 2050 announced in October 2015.

Construction of the new hydrogen tank line at Shimoyama is starting now, while the exterior for the new stack production facility is already finished and work will now begin on the interior. Details of the respective facilities will be announced later with a view to start operations around 2020.

Expanding FCEV sales to more countries and regions

As a technology, fuel cells are mature and ready to scale up. Toyota took the lead in bringing to market the mass-produced fuel cell sedan, the Mirai, in December 2014. Annual production and sales have increased yearly, going from about 700 units in 2015, to around 2,000 units in 2016, and, most recently, approximately 3,000 units in 2017. However, in order to encourage more widespread use of hydrogen-powered zero-emission vehicles, popularization needs to start by the 2020s. Toyota aims for annual sales of FCEVs to top 30,000 units globally from around that time.

At present, Mirai is sold in eleven countries: Japan, the United States, and nine countries in Europe. Toyota is working to develop an environment that will allow FCEVs to be sold in more countries and regions in the future. As part of this, demonstration tests of Mirai are currently under way in Australia, Canada, China, and the U.A.E., and Toyota is examining demand for FCEVs while continuing to help with initiatives to promote hydrogen infrastructure development.

In the Japanese market, Toyota aims to reach sales of at least 1,000 FCEV units per month and over 10,000 units annually, from around 2020. Sales regions within Japan will be expanded further from the current four major metropolitan areas to allow even more customers to enjoy Mirai.

On the commercial side, Toyota started sales of FC buses to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government in February 2017, and introduced the final version, the Sora, in 2018 with three additional units. Toyota aims to sell at least 100 such buses ahead of the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020.

Going forward, Toyota will expand its FCEV product range and continue to strengthen product appeal, aiming to bring the cost down. Also, Toyota will keep working with Toyota Group and other companies to develop a hydrogen supply infrastructure and construct a low-carbon hydrogen supply chain. Through these and other initiatives, the company is actively contributing to the realization of a hydrogen-based society.

Starting this year, the Burnaston facility will be progressively upgraded with new equipment, technologies and systems. This will enable production of vehicles on the Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA) platform.

The investment programme also includes up to £21.3 million support^*1 from the UK Government for training, research and development and further enhancements of the plant’s environmental performance.

Announcing the investment, Dr Johan van Zyl, President and CEO of Toyota Motor Europe, said:

“We are very focused on securing the global competitiveness of our European plants. The roll-out of TNGA manufacturing capability is part of this plan. This upgrade of TMUK is a sign of confidence in our employees and suppliers and their focus on superior quality and greater efficiency. We welcome the UK Government funding contribution for this activity.”

"Our investment demonstrates that, as a company, we are doing all we can to raise the competitiveness of our Burnaston plant in Derbyshire. Continued tariff-and-barrier free market access between the UK and Europe that is predictable and uncomplicated will be vital for future success".

Toyota has launched a global programme to upgrade its manufacturing sites to produce TNGA-based vehicles. By 2020, the majority of Toyota’s global models will be built using TNGA platforms. TNGA already underpins the new, fourth generation Prius and the all-new, Toyota C-HR crossover, which is built in Turkey, vehicles that epitomise Toyota’s commitment to build ever-better cars for our customers.

^*1 Government Funding is subject to due diligence.

RAV4 is the second Toyota model to be produced in Russia in addition to Toyota Camry which has been made there since 2007. The first Toyota RAV4 rolled off Saint Petersburg plant production line on August 22nd, 2016.

The decision to start Toyota RAV4 production at the Toyota plant in Saint Petersburg was made following Toyota's global policy to localize production where demand exists. Toyota RAV4 is consistently one of Toyota bestsellers in Russia and market leader in the C-SUV segment.

RAV4 start of production confirms Toyota's commitment to promote the development of the automotive business in Russia and ensures swift responses to market needs. With the model launch at the Saint Petersburg plant, production of RAV4 includes exclusive series designed specifically for the Russian customers’ needs..

In preparation of RAV4 launch TMR-SP production capacity was successfully doubled from 50,000 to 100,000 vehicles a year. Investment towards this production capacity increase and the new model launch reached 9,7 billion RUR. Thanks to this second model launch 800 new jobs have been created. At this moment about 2350 people are employed at TMR-SP plant.

During the ceremony Executive Manufacturing Director of "Toyota Motor" LCC Yoshinori Matsunaga addressed the ceremony guests and employees: “I would like to use this opportunity and thank our employees for successful RAV4 launch and also for their daily commitment to Toyota quality principles. Our efforts already resulted in high popularity and trust of Russian-made Camry among our customers. We are committed to produce the 2nd RAV4 model of the same high quality here in Saint-Petersburg”.

Speaking about the importance of the Russian market for Toyota, President and CEO of Toyota Motor Europe (Belgium) Dr. Van Zyl commented: “Toyota in Russia plays a key role in our strategy because of the huge industrial potential of this country. When we invest into manufacturing it is for the long term once we’ve judged that the conditions assure a sustainable presence in the country and this is the case of Russia”.

“We are very pleased to be able to bring additional petrol engine and hybrid transaxle production to the heart of Europe, here in Poland, at TMIP and TMMP, where the members of our plants have developed exceptional quality and competitiveness,” said Johan van Zyl, President and CEO of Toyota Motor Europe. “Toyota always seeks to increase local content and adapt to market trends, with the goal of achieving sustainable growth in mind,” he added.

TMMP
The hybrid transaxle to be produced at TMMP is a key part of Toyota’s hybrid powertrain, and will be fitted into the 1.8L ZR engine. This hybrid engine equips all Toyota Auris and Auris Touring Sports Hybrid vehicles sold in Europe, and will equip the new crossover Toyota C-HR when it starts production at the end of this year. The hybrid transaxle for Auris is currently being produced at Toyota Motor Corporation in Japan and imported to Europe. Additionally, some R&D functions through testing materials for production will be started at TMMP to support the localisation of hybrid transaxle parts.

Hybrid is a key differentiator for Toyota in Europe. Going forward, Toyota Motor Europe expects its hybrid sales in Europe to increase from today’s 31% of total sales to a target of 50% hybrid vehicles by 2020.

“We are committed to further strengthen our presence in Poland,” said Eiji Takeichi, President of Toyota Motor Manufacturing Poland. “Adding the hybrid production makes our operations sustainable for the future for the benefit of our members and local community.”

TMIP
TMIP, which currently produces 1.4L and 2.2L Diesel engines, will add two petrol engines to its production. Assembly of a 1.5L petrol engine will start in February 2017 and will equip the Toyota Yaris, and a 2.0L petrol engine will be added to the plant’s output in late 2019.

“Although TMIP is currently manufacturing only diesel engines, the European market is moving towards an increased share of petrol, hybrid and electric vehicles,” said Kazunori Masuoka, President of Toyota Motor Industries Poland. “It was therefore important for us to diversify our output and develop our petrol engine manufacturing skills, which will help secure our future.”

Notes:

About Toyota Motor Manufacturing Poland
Established in 1999, Toyota Motor Manufacturing Poland started operations in April 2002 in Walbrzych, Dolnoslaskie Province, Poland. It currently produces 1.0L petrol engines & transmissions for the AYGO produced in the Czech Republic and the Yaris produced in France. It also makes transmissions for vehicles with 1.0L to 1.8L engines for the Auris and Avensis produced in the UK, the Corolla and Verso made in Turkey, and the Corolla made in South Africa. Its production capacity is around 371,000 engines per year and 720,000 transmissions per year. Last year’s production was 220,000 engines and 410,000 transmissions and (2015). TMMP employs around 1,500 permanent employees.

About Toyota Motor Industries Poland
Established in 2002, Toyota Motor Industries, Poland started production in 2005 in Jelcz-Laskowice, Dolnoslaskie Province, Poland. It currently produces 1.4L D-4D Diesel engines for the Yaris produced in France, the Auris produced in the UK, and the Corolla produced in Turkey and South Africa. It produced 2.0 and 2.2L D-4D Diesel engines for Avensis, Auris, and Verso until April 2015 and continues to produce some of these engines for export and service parts. Its current production capacity is 180,000 engines. Last year’s production was 75,500 engines. TMIP employs around 500 permanent employees.

The best-seller Toyota RAV4 became the second model to be produced at the Saint Petersburg plant together with the Toyota Camry, which has been made here since 2007. The Russian-made Toyota RAV4 will be produced for Russian, Kazakh and Belarus markets.

The decision to start Toyota RAV4 production at the Toyota plant in Saint Petersburg was made in 2013 following the strong sales of this vehicle in Russia. As a pioneer creating a brand new segment when first launched in 1994, the Toyota RAV4 has established a solid reputation with Russian customers since its launch in Russia in 2002. For several years, it has been not only the market leader in the C-SUV segment, but the vehicle has become one of Toyota’s best-seller across all segments in Russia.

Commenting on the start of production, Executive Manufacturing Director of "Toyota Motor" LLC. Yoshinori Matsunaga said: “This project demonstrates the confidence in the work of our employees and the recognition of their efforts. Our employees’ work is based on the fundamental principles and philosophy of Toyota at each production stage. Thorough preparation for the second model launch was carried out over the past three years, and today we are pleased to announce the beginning of a new phase in the life of our plant, as well as to offer a Toyota RAV4 of very high quality to our customers”.

The high quality of Toyota’s St Petersburg Camry is already well-known: in 2016 the car has ranked as the number 1 vehicle in D segment with the best residual value in Russia according to Autostat analytic agency. Over years Toyota Camry was repeatedly recognized as the best model in business class by annual national award “Car of the year in Russia”. The same quality mindset went into the preparation for the RAV4 launch, and about 450 training trips to Japan were organized for the plant employees.

At the end of 2015 in preparation for the start of production of the Toyota RAV4, the TMR-SP production capacity was successfully doubled from 50,000 to 100,000 vehicles a year. Investment towards this production capacity increase and the new model launch reached 9,7 billion RUR.

Thanks to this second model, recruitment of new employees is ongoing at TMR-SP. With gradual production volume increase in the next few months, around 800 new jobs will be created.

President of «Toyota Motor» LLC. Hidenori Ozaki commented: “RAV4 launch at Toyota’s plant in Saint Petersburg is a key to Toyota’s sustainable development in Russia, as well as our contribution to the regional and Russian economy. The successful implementation of our company plans to start second model production confirms our commitment to promote the development of the automotive business in Russia and to offer products which are fully in line with the needs of Russian customers. We are confident in the future success of “our” Toyota RAV4 in Russia”.

At first glance, it’s not so hard to spot the differences between the very first Toyota Yaris, produced on 31 January 2001, and the 3 millionth unit that rolled off the conveyer belt at TMMF, Toyota’s plant in Valenciennes, in the north of France. But when you look beyond the surface, you realise there is a lot more to those changes that meet the eye.

Under the hood 

The green credentials of the Toyota Yaris have significantly improved over the years. Comparing the first Toyota Yaris with the 3 millionth production milestone, a Yaris Hybrid, shows that both CO2 emission and fuel consumption levels have almost halved, even if weight and power output are up. The drag coefficient, which indirectly contributes to the car’s environmental performance, has improved from 0.30 to 0.286. Even the comparison to today’s petrol (non hybrid) version shows the Yaris engineers have kept up with the trend to reduce emissions and fuel consumption.

Head start thanks to eco design

A car doesn’t only draw its green credentials on the road: the way a car is produced is equally important. From the start TMMF has been designed to leave the smallest environmental footprint possible. In some workshops the storage areas are up to 10 times more compact compared to automotive industry standards with similar production output. Visually, the low building has been discretely integrated in the landscape. In 2007, TMMF was named one of the five sustainable plants of Toyota around the world, making the French plant an industrial benchmark for all other plants of the Toyota Group in terms of environmental performance.Head start thanks to eco design

Using 90% less water compared to 2002, making the plant autonomous in industrial water

TMMF has earned this acknowledgement after posting impressive results in water, waste and energy management, year after year. TMMF consumes 90% less industrial water today than in 2002, the first full year of production, and can run without drawing any water from the network – just using rain and recycled water. Sixty percent is rainwater that is collected in the two on-site basins with a combined volume of 16,000m³ and flows through the plant’s water treatment system to meet the required standards before usage in the production process. The remaining 40% is water that is recycled from the plant’s waste water after pre-treatment in the same water treatment system. As the water is processed both before and after usage in the production process, its quality exceeds the environmental norms and excess water can be safely released in the neighbouring river, the Scheldt.

100% waste is transformed, none is sent to landfill

TMMF has always been a plant with zero waste to landfill, but since 2007 it is successfully reclaiming 100% of its waste. Since 2001 any waste is carefully being either reused, recycled or recovered. Industrial oils and paint thinners are collected for reuse or regeneration; steel and aluminium make new raw materials; wood, cardboard and plastic wrappings are being recycled; the small amount of waste that is left is used as an alternative fuel source.

57% energy savings compared to 2002

Even though energy consumption was already at a very low level thanks to the compact building concept, TMMF managed to reduce the energy consumption by 57% compared to 2002 thanks to close monitoring, smart insulation, and saving on lighting to name just a few measures. Moreover, TMMF has been investing in pilot projects for renewables. Two and a half tons of CO2 per year are saved thanks to a photovoltaic membrane on the plant’s roof. Another saving of 18,4 tons of CO2 per year results from a solar wall that heats the outside air flowing into some of the workshops. Most recently, an existing gas boiler has been replaced with a biomass boiler, resulting in CO2 savings in the order of 1285 tons/year.

3 millionth Toyota Yaris for French customer

The 3 millionth unit is a black and white bi-tone Yaris Hybrid that will go to a French customer. 87% of the total production is being exported to 42 destinations (European region in addition to US, Canada and Puerto Rico). Over the last 15 years more than 1 billion euros has been invested in the plant that has been home to the production of the three generations of Toyota Yaris, an equal number of minor changes, a hybrid version since 2012 and a variant for export to North America since 2013.

Toyota Motor currently produces the Camry model for Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus. Today’s announcement of the start of production of the RAV4, the plant’s second model, is part of Toyota Motor Europe’s ever increasing local production’s philosophy to produce cars closer to where customers are, and to facilitate even timelier delivery of vehicles. This closely follows the announcement made 2 weeks ago of the start of production of the all-new Toyota C-HR at the Turkish plant, and its engines – at Deeside plant in United Kingdom, at the end of the year.

The vehicle will become the ninth model currently produced by Toyota in Europe, along with Avensis, Auris, Yaris, AYGO, Camry, Corolla, Verso and Toyota C-HR.

The additional investment in the plant to date amounts to 7.1 billion Rubles (90,1 million Euros), bringing the total investment in the plant to 18.2 billion Rubles (233 million Euros).

Preparations at the plant included enlargement of manufacturing shops, expansion of production lines, installation of new equipment in all shops, including automation of body welding line and installation of equipment to increase automation in assembly and stamping shops. Total production capacity was therefore doubled from 50 to 100 thousand cars per year.

The modernized production lines will enable to increase the conveyor speed by more than 2 – fold in May 2016. With this production volume increase, 800 new jobs will be created.

Commenting on the preparation of the plant for the Toyota RAV4‘s start of production, Executive Production Director of “Toyota Motor" Mr. Yoshinori Matsunaga said: "We have successfully completed the expansion project at the plant. All preparatory work is carried out according to the plan. We will keep producing cars of the highest quality for our customers."

Toyota’s confidence in the Russian market is once more confirmed by the decision to add a new production model to the plant in Saint-Petersburg. In 2015 the group’s total market share in Russia continued to grow steadily and reached a historical record of 7.5% (+ 0.1%) which allowed Toyota brand to become #1 among all Japanese automotive brands.

Mr. Hidenori Ozaki, President “Toyota Motor” commented: “The Russian automotive market remains one of the top priority markets for Toyota on global level. Despite the temporary volatile situation, our mid- and long-term strategy and plans in Russia remain unchanged. The start of production of the Toyota RAV4 is a key condition for Toyota’s sustainable development in Russia, as well as our contribution to the local economy and society”.

TME also announced that the hybrid engine for the crossover is to be produced at Toyota Motor Manufacturing UK’s engine plant in Deeside, Wales.

The production destination for the vehicles will be greater Europe and regions outside Europe. Individual export countries are being considered at this time.

“I am extremely pleased to be able to announce this expansion of our local production in Europe,” said TME President and CEO Dr Johan van Zyl. “The crossover market has been booming and will continue to grow in Europe and elsewhere. We are entering the C-segment crossover market with a fantastic product and with a hybrid powertrain from the start. This will provide our European operations with further perspectives for sustainable growth. I have full trust in our team members in Turkey and the UK to apply their skills and quality mind-set to building what will be a very exciting product,” he added.

TMMT currently produces the Corolla and Verso models. Total production capacity for TMMT will increase from 150 to 280 thousand vehicles per year. Annual production of the future crossover will depend on demand. Employment at TMMT is expected to increase from 3,000 to 4,000 in the months leading to the start of production, which is planned towards the end of 2016. The additional investment at TMMT is around 350 million euros for the project. Cumulative investment will reach 1.7 billion euros.

At TMUK Deeside, an additional 7.1 million pounds are being invested in the facility and new equipment. Currently, the Deeside plant produces petrol and hybrid engines for the Auris, petrol engines for the Avensis, Corolla and Verso, and engines as parts to customers outside Europe. Cumulative investment at Toyota Motor Manufacturing UK (Burnaston and Deeside) will reach 2.2 billion pounds.

The production vehicle based on the C-HR concept will be revealed on March 1st at the Geneva Motor Show. It will be based on Toyota’s new global architecture (TNGA). The vehicle will become the eighth model currently produced by Toyota in Europe for the European market, along with Avensis, Auris, Yaris, AYGO, Camry, Corolla and Verso. Local production-to-sales ratio is expected to rise beyond the 71% achieved in 2015, further anchoring Toyota’s operations in Europe, close to its customers.

Over the last 15 years TMMF has clearly taken root in the region. It welcomes around 4000 visitors a year, including 2500 students, and makes cars and parts available for local technical education. Now TMMF has decided to move it up a gear, addressing business leaders with an introduction into the topics for which Toyota has gained a strong reputation. Luciano Biondo, Senior Vice President of TMMF: “We’re often asked by large companies to offer trainings in the field of lean production, supply chain management and environmentally friendly industrial processes. We are now bundling our efforts and will start sharing our knowledge through more formal trainings, for a small fee. The proceeds will be donated in their entirety to the new foundation.” 

TMMF has been the home of the Toyota Yaris ever since it started production 15 years ago. The car was developed in response to growing environmental awareness, with a brief to focus on reduced fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions. The compact car gained international accolade by winning the ‘European Car of the Year’ award in 2000 and quickly became Toyota Europe’s bestseller. In 2012 a hybrid version was added to the line-up, making the Yaris Hybrid the first full hybrid in the compact B-segment in Europe. One year later the plant started exporting the Toyota Yaris to the North American market. In 2015, the Toyota Yaris secured around 25% of total Toyota’s European sales and the Yaris Hybrid accounted for 36% of total Yaris sales.

With CO₂ levels of 75g/km and fuel consumption of 3,3L/100km (NEDC cycle), the Yaris Hybrid can claim impressive green credentials, but so can the production site. TMMF is an environmental reference in the Toyota Group, being one of Toyota’s five sustainable plants in the world. Since the very beginning, TMMF has been sending zero waste to landfill. On top of continuous reduction of energy usage and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) emissions, major achievements include attaining autonomy on water usage. Between August ’14 and August ’15, 132 million litres of rainwater have been recovered in on-site lagoons and 60 million of litres have been recycled over the same period.

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_{Notes to the editors:}

_{Toyota Motor Manufacturing France, production site of the Toyota Yaris and Yaris Hybrid, in Onnaing, north of France, started production on 31 January 2001. The plant produces the Yaris for the European and North American market. TMMF exports to 42 countries outside of France. In 2015, 228,288 Yaris cars were produced (32% hybrid versions). The company has till date invested more than 1 billion euro. TMMF is one of the most environmental production sites in Europe with continuously improving performances.}

The production site of Valenciennes is churning out more than 300 Yaris Hybrid vehicles a day. Yaris Hybrid production represents nearly 40% of total Yaris production, up from the initial 25% in April 2012 when Toyota's plant in the north of France started producing the hybrid version of its Yaris. The increasing figure is testimony not only to the success of Toyota's hybrid technology but also to the popular Yaris model.

The Yaris is by far Toyota's best selling model across the European region. In 2014 Toyota Motor Europe sold 181,105 Yaris, meaning one out of five Toyota sold in Europe is a Yaris. Among these, a third of the vehicles are hybrids (58,530).

France tops the list of the largest destination markets, absorbing 20% of Yaris Hybrid production, preceeding Italy and the United Kingdom who each take a 16% portion of the hybrid output.

A Yaris Hybrid is equipped with a 1.5 liter petrol engine and an electric motor. Similar to all other Toyota full hybrid models, the battery is recharged when braking and accelerating (without any need to plug in).

The Toyota Yaris Hybrid consumes as little as 3,3 l/100 km* and emits only 75g/km CO2*, positioning it as the least CO2 emitting (non plug in) hybrid of the market according to ADEME testing**.

The Yaris Hybrid has been labelled « Origine France Garantie » since August 2012 and has been manufactured by the 3800 employees of the Toyota Valenciennes plant.

* According to the European measurement cycle NEDC

** http://carlabelling.ademe.fr

Equally, it is transforming the way Toyota manufactures vehicles, introducing the most fundamental improvements yet to the Toyota Production System. The long term benefits will be smaller, more flexible factories with production lines that can quickly and easily be adapted to meet different manufacturing requirements.

The new Prius uses the first TNGA platform to be developed, one which will also underpin a number of other future models. Further platforms will be developed to provide comprehensive provision for a complete model range.

Toyota takes the concept of platform sharing to a high level with TNGA by standardising components and their lay-out across different vehicle segments, and fully integrating both its manufacturing operations and its suppliers in the new concept at a very early stage.

Through TNGA customers will be able to enjoy more stylish cars that are safer and more enjoyable to drive. At the same time, Toyota will substantially reduce the number and variety of different vehicle components, enabling smarter development and manufacturing that will increase efficiency and save time.

Improved driving dynamics with a low centre of gravity

TNGA directly contributes to making cars more enjoyable to drive. The new TNGA vehicle platforms are designed to achieve a low vehicle centre of gravity, a quality that is fundamental to securing a more engaging driving position and more precise and responsive handling, with less body roll. This means better handling can be achieved directly from the quality of the chassis and body without compromising ride and comfort.

TNGA promotes more responsive handling by significantly increasing vehicle body rigidity with strategic use of high-strength steels. The impact of this can be seen in the new Prius, which benefits from a 60 per cent more rigid body shell, with high-strength steel used as reinforcement in key areas. Higher rigidity contributes to better chassis responsiveness and ride quality for a more rewarding driving experience.

Ergonomic excellence in vehicle packaging

TNGA introduces new, defined lay-out rules for the position of different state-of-the-art components which will simplify vehicle design in key areas without compromising the styling qualities that give each vehicle its individual character and appeal.

For example, the driving components — items such as the pedals, steering column and driver's seat — will conform to one of five different lay-outs according to vehicle type and platform. Previously much time was spent on millimetre-adjustment to define the most suitable design and arrangement of these components to achieve the optimum driving position in every new model. The TNGA solution will provide an ergonomically ideal combination to suit the vehicle, in line with the floor height provided by the platform. Each lay-out can be further refined with detailed adjustment to the pedal and pedal operation angles and the position and angle of the steering column.

This will be effective whether the emphasis is on sporting character or practical packaging with plenty of rear seat legroom. The five lay-outs cover the requirements of the complete vehicle range, from compact sports cars to SUVs.

TNGA also brings a new approach to the design of the engine compartment, with a focus on placing components lower down in a more rationally organised "clean and tidy" space. This allows for a more attractive, lower hood, which in turn improves safety by giving the driver a clearer forward view. It also helps lower the car's centre of gravity, contributing to better handling and stability and a more engaging drive.

Styling freedom

Although TNGA will produce a standardised vehicle architecture and many uniform components, it will not lead to a range of vehicles that are similar in appearance and constrained by their use of shared elements. The impact of TNGA is on areas that are largely out of sight, so that designers retain the freedom to produce cars that are visually distinctive and individual.

TNGA will empower Toyota designers to produce stylish vehicles with a lower stance and more appealing proportions, as can be seen in the new Prius and the C-HR Concept car.

Improved safety performance

The new TNGA platforms and designs have prioritised the highest active and passive safety standards. They are designed to meet the exacting standards of indepen-dent crash testing programmes worldwide and provide impressive levels of active and preventive safety through the functions and systems of Toyota Safety Sense. And by enabling a lower hood height, TNGA also provides the driver with a deeper and wider view of the road ahead.

Smart development and manufacturing

TNGA is not only helping Toyota create ever better cars, it also has a direct, positive impact on product development and manufacturing. In the most significant changes yet to the Toyota Production System, TNGA will ultimately lead to vehicle factories being smaller and more flexible, better able to respond quickly and easily to accommodate new or additional models.

Production lines mounted on the floor rather than being suspended from above will be simpler to install and adjust in length. Toyota anticipates TNGA will enable multiple models to be produced from the same line, supported by new, more efficient ways of producing parts and systems. Accommodating changes in design and specifications will also be simpler and quicker to achieve. Further gains will be made in environmental efficiency, by using equipment that is not only more compact, but also uses less energy.

The sharing of many common components among different vehicles in different segments will greatly reduce the number of different parts that have to be designed, manufactured and supplied.

Toyota calculates that TNGA will reduce the amount of manpower required for vehicle development by 20 per cent, giving it more time to devote to designing ever-better cars. It reduces the level of investment required for bringing new products to market, while increasing the competitiveness and flexibility of Toyota's existing manufacturing plants.

The latest World Skills Competition was held in Sao Paulo, Brazil earlier this month and saw over 1,000 apprentices compete in 50 different skills. The World Skills Competition is held every two years and is the biggest vocational education and skills excellence event in the world. The competitors represent the best of their peers they demonstrate technical abilities both individually and collectively for which they study in their workplace. The medallions of excellence are given to competitors who demonstrate the attainment of world-class standards in their chosen skill.

For more information please visit: http://www.toyotauk.com/

This, and a true dedication to the Toyota Production System adopted here at the start of production in 1994, makes Toyota Motor Manufacturing Turkey one of the best in the world for manufacturing quality. "Our level of quality measured during quality audits is the same as that of our factories in Japan," says Mr Özer. "High quality manufacturing and productivity improvement are the key strengths of TMMT."

On the occasion of the 20^th anniversary, Didier Leroy, President and CEO of Toyota Motor Europe, said to the employees there: "We fully believe in the potential for long-term economic growth in Turkey, and trust the capability of the Toyota members here. This plant is competitive, and we have decided to increase production at TMMT in the future and are now studying how exactly this will take shape."

Last year, the Turkish factory was chosen to produce the 11^th generation Corolla for Europe — Toyota's global best-seller and symbol of its success. "This was a sign that we are competitive enough to build such an important vehicle," commented Mr Özer. "In addition, locating production here in Turkey takes advantage of our proximity to Eastern Europe, Turkey and the Middle East, regions where Corolla is quite popular," he added. Corolla sales in greater Europe are up 44% year-on-year. "We're very pleased to have secured Toyota's future investment in our plant," he said.

Amongst the 1.5 million vehicles that have come off the assembly line since the start of production in September 1994, are:

- Corolla (7^th generation, 8^th, 9^th generation, including wagon, and now 11^th generation)

- Verso (previous generation from 2004 and current generation since 2009)

The plant started out as a complete-knock-down (CKD) factory in 1994, serving mainly the domestic market and operated within the Sabanci group as Toyotasa. Toyota was the first Asian auto manufacturer in the country. In 1996, the plant was ISO-9001 certified. In 2000, it was spun off and established as Toyota Motor Manufacturing Turkey, part of Toyota Motor Europe. Export started in 2002 and now constitutes 85% of total production volume — mainly to Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia and Caucasus.

As a Toyota plant, TMMT's environmental performance is high. The plant recycles 100% of its waste and has been able to reduce its waste by 40% in the past three years. Energy, water and resource consumption has also been reduced by 5% year-on-year. The plant counts 20,000 trees of 300 species on its premises. "Every year, we welcome students for our environmental tours, in total we have raised awareness of environmental issues amongst more than 5,000 students from the region," says Mr Özer. The plant also supports technical education and traffic safety. TMMT's social contribution activities have reached more than 10,000 students in total.

The 2.5-millionth Yaris will be delivered to a customer of Toyota's Marseille, France retailer in the next few weeks.

The sales success of Yaris and Yaris Hybrid led TMMF to plan a 15% increase in production for 2014 and introduce a third production shift from June onward. TMMF will then be producing 1,100 Yaris per day versus 840 today. The plan for 2014 calendar year is to produce around 220,000 Yaris, including around 25,000 for export to North America.

The three-shift organisation requires recruiting an additional 500 production members, bringing employment at the Valenciennes plant to more than 4,000. Since recruitment started three months ago, more than 9,000 candidates have applied for jobs at the plant and more than 300 have already joined the initial four-week training. The training leads to a formal qualification certificate under the French professional qualification system.

The plant will start operating on three shifts as of June 16, 2014, which is the timing of the start of production of the restyled Yaris unveiled earlier this week. Both the exterior and the interior of Yaris have been significantly renewed, positioning the car amongst the strongest contenders in the highly competitive B-segment once more.

More information: http://newsroom.toyota.eu/pressrelease/3886//new-yaris-adds-style-content

Agustin Martin, Marketing Director for Toyota Motor Europe, said: "Since its launch, the Yaris has been one of the main pillars of our product offer. Last year, it was the 10th best-selling name plate in Europe. What makes it unique is the availability of a hybrid version. In the reality of today's congested traffic, there is simply no way to beat a hybrid for comfort and stress-free transportation, and ever more customers are finding out."

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One of the engines is a 1.3-liter gasoline engine in which Toyota is employing the Atkinson cycle³―normally used in dedicated hybrid engines. Use of the Atkinson cycle provides an increased expansion ratio and reduces waste heat through a high compression ratio (13.5), resulting in superior thermal efficiency. Toyota aims to further improve the fuel efficiency of the engine by utilizing other innovations including an intake port with a new shape that generates a strong tumble flow (whereby the air-fuel mixture flows in a vertical swirl) inside the cylinder, and a cooled exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) system paired with Variable Valve Timing-intelligent Electric (VVT-iE) technology to improve combustion and reduce loss. As a result, the new engine will have a maximum thermal efficiency of 38 percent⁴―top-level among mass-produced engines. The new features, combined with idling stop and other functions, will lead to fuel efficiency gains of approximately 15 percent² by comparison with current vehicles.

Meanwhile, a 1.0-liter engine jointly developed with Daihatsu Motor Co., Ltd. has achieved maximum thermal efficiency of 37 percent⁴ due to a similar tumble flow-generating intake port, a cooled EGR system, and a high compression ratio. Combination with the idling-stop function and various other fuel consumption reduction technologies allows vehicles to achieve a maximum fuel efficiency improvement of approximately 30 percent² over current vehicles.

¹Numerical expression showing how much of the thermal energy generated by burning fuel is converted into effective power. The higher the thermal efficiency, the lower the fuel consumption.

²Under the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism's (MLIT) JC08 test cycle

³Combustion cycle in which thermal efficiency is improved by making the expansion ratio larger than the compression ratio, thereby improving fuel efficiency

⁴Based on in-house calculations

The testing is part of a project, also to begin this month, run by the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) to create and test advanced agricultural management models.

Recently in Japan, increasing numbers of small-scale farmers and landowners have been entrusting land cultivation to large-scale agricultural cooperatives. To address the needs of this growing farming model and make it more efficient, Toyota developed the IT tool as a means to organize data gathered from independent field laborers into a central database so that work on scattered, independent rice farms can be better managed.

The tool generates and distributes daily coordinated work plans to multiple laborers at different rice fields over a large area. As laborers report their progress via smartphone or tablet to a central database, administrators can manage the overall cultivation.

The tool can also be used post-cultivation in the drying and refining phases to gather information such as the rice grain type, cultivation area, fertilization conditions, weather, working hours and drying conditions. Harvest quantity and quality can also be collected and analyzed to help produce a better tasting crop at lower cost.

Toyota has a wealth of knowledge about production control systems and process improvements, and since 2011, has been working with rice growers in Aichi Prefecture to improve cultivation processes and boost productivity. Initial trials of the IT tool began in 2012, with major improvements made, such as reduced complexity for fewer human errors, lower material costs and enhanced administrative capabilities.

The IT tool and related services will be sold by TMC's IT business subsidiary Toyota Media Service Corporation.

Currently, the tool only supports the cultivation of major crops such as rice, wheat and soy. However, Toyota intends to continue to expand the scope of the tool to help support the revitalization and competitiveness of Japanese agriculture.

*Consortium formed by nine rice growing agricultural cooperatives in Aichi and Ishikawa Prefectures to test the tool and improve its quality and efficiency

The three-shift operation will require an increase in manpower by 500 production employees, which will bring total employment at TMMF to more than 4,000.

Until the third shift is in place, some Saturday production is planned to meet demand.

"Sales forecasts have led us to increase production plans by around 15% for 2014, for a total production volume of around 220,000 units," confirmed Koreatsu Aoki, President of TMMF.

The additional manpower will be recruited as temporary staff. Employees from the two day shifts will also move to staff up the third night shift on a voluntary basis.

"TMMF will produce close to 1100 Yaris per day on three shifts versus 840 on two shifts today," said Luciano Biondo, Senior Vice President of Manufacturing. "This new organisation demonstrates the success of the "Made-in-France" Yaris on a very competitive segment."

"The new members will follow a 4-week training programme, which can turn into an official professional qualification," said Alain Van Vyve, Vice President of Administration. "This third shift is excellent news for jobs in the Valenciennes region of France, and will contribute to improve a local and regional economy that is still fragile," he added.

TMMF had operated on three shifts in the past, in 2004 and then from 2006 to 2010 and again in 2012. The plant's flexibility allows adjusting shift patterns to meet demand when required by the market.

###About Toyota Motor Manufacturing France:Toyota Motor Manufacturing France, is the home of the Toyota Yaris and Yaris Hybrid and is located in Onnaing, near Valenciennes, in the North of France. It started operations on 31 January 2001. The plant produces Yaris for the European market and exports part of its production to North America. TMMF has built more than 2.4 million Yaris since the start, 84% of which are exported from France on average. TMMF employs 3600 people on 2 shifts. Investment to date at the plant is more than 1 billion euros. TMMF is also one of the cleanest production sites in France with continuously improving environmental performance.

The milestone took 78 years and 5 months to reach, and began with production of the "Model G1" truck in August 1935 at Toyoda Automatic Loom Works, Ltd.'s Automotive Department, which spun off and later became TMC.

As of the end of December, Toyota's cumulative global production totaled approximately 210 million vehicles, with units produced in Japan making up approximately 70 percent. Of the Japan cumulative total, the "Corolla" accounts for the largest share, at 25.45 million units.

Toyota continues to position its production plants in Japan as strategic bases for bolstering global competitiveness, while striving to contribute to global society through the manufacturing of ever-better cars.

Toyota Cumulative Vehicle Production in Japan Milestones

*Includes kits for overseas assembly

Speaking at the ceremony Takeshi Uchiyamada said: "The new Corolla, which has been reborn with styling that is more refined and more luxurious, is the new global symbol for our efforts to make "ever-better cars". I am very proud that the European version of the new Corolla will call Sakarya its home. From here, let us continue to write the Corolla's history."

Didier Leroy, President and CEO of TME, with the opportunity of the event, commented: "With the start of production of the new Corolla at TMMT, our product offer in the essential compact segment has been fully renewed in the past year. With this important milestone, we are definitely on the right path to achieve our target of sustainable growth this year but also in the future in Europe."

Orhan Özer, President and CEO of TMMT, said: "Today I am very pleased that we re-started to produce new generation Corolla, a milestone in Turkish automotive history. Today's achievement has been made possible thanks to the joint efforts of our employees, suppliers and business partners. I would like to thank all those involved for their hard work and dedication and on this occasion I express my gratitude to TMC and TME".

The new Toyota Corolla made in Turkey is the European version of the 11th generation of the iconic Toyota model. It has been created to satisfy a wide range of global customer needs. It features an advanced, more contemporary design, improved roominess, comfort, practicality and user-friendliness unrivalled fuel economy, improved driving dynamics and enhanced safety features.

Above all, the new Corolla builds on the model's legendary Quality Durability and Reliability with significantly enhanced quality in every aspect of its design and engineering, whilst still representing impressive value for money in every market around the world.

In 2014, total production of TMMT will reach 150,000 units, its full capacity. Already this year, more than eighty-five per cent of the production will be exported to European markets, Russia, North Africa, the Middle East and Central Asian countries. A Euro 150 million investment was made for the Corolla project at the plant, bringing total investment at TMMT to Euro 1.4 billion.

Starting from 2014, TMMT will reach full capacity utilization thanks to Corolla and Verso production. Some 900 new employees were hired for the Corolla project.

In 1994, TMMT started to its production operations in Sakarya with the 7th generation Corolla. Production of Corolla continued with the 8th and 9th generations of the model until the end of 2006.

Another model, the Verso, joined the production line in 2004. From 2007 to 2012, TMMT produced the Toyota Auris hatchback, discontinuing production of the Corolla sedan. In line with Toyota's pan-European optimisation and localisation strategy of C segment production in Europe, production of Auris was consolidated at Toyota Motor Manufacturing UK at the end of 2012, making room for the reintroduction of the Corolla sedan at TMMT. This move allows both plants to operate at full capacity.

Minute-by-minute, across 14 hours from 6am, Factory to Forecourt will chart panel stamping, welding, painting, plastics, assembly and quality control. As well as explaining the different activities involved — there are 325 separate processes on the assembly line alone — it will demonstrate how the principles of the Toyota Production System are fundamental to the way the people work in the factory and ensure the best built-in quality for owners.

Throughout the day, followers will be able to interact with the Toyota team, adding their comments and asking questions.

The Toyota Production System is a globally renowned business philosophy that has been adopted by thousands of businesses worldwide and not just within automotive and manufacturing. In the UK, for example, the National Health Service has used it to help improve its quality control processes. The Factory to Forecourt project has been designed to provide a valuable educational resource, for school and further education students alike, across a wide range of disciplines.

The @ToyotaFactory Twitter feed will include links to images and more detailed information resources including specially commissioned film footage from inside the Burnaston plant. The videos include contributions from members of the workforce, giving personal insights into how the Toyota Production System gives every worker on the line responsibility for quality, at every stage.

Scott Brownlee, head of social media for Toyota GB, said: "This project does more than simply show what we do inside the walls of our factory, it presents it in the context of the commitment to quality that is the guiding principle of the way Toyota works worldwide and the first priority of everyone who works for the company."

How to access Factory to Forecourt

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ENDS

Welcoming Toyota's continued investment in British jobs and manufacturing, the Secretary of State for Transport Patrick McLoughlin said: "Toyota's ongoing investment in Burnaston is a huge vote of confidence in our thriving car manufacturing industry, proving again Britain's ability to make world class cars that appeal to a global customer base. It is thanks to the support of manufacturers like Toyota that we are encouraging more young people to pursue an engineering career. This is an industry that is helping generate the jobs and wealth we need to secure the UK's place in the global economic race."

Didier Leroy congratulated TMUK on its latest production milestone and expressed the significance of Auris Touring Sports in extending the Auris range's appeal to even more customers. He said: "TMUK has the Members with the skills, experience and capabilities that make it an ideal centre for manufacturing new Auris Touring Sports. Adding this model to its production portfolio will help bring production levels at TMUK up to its full current operating capacity."

Expressing the new car's significance for Toyota in Europe, he continued: "Auris Touring Sports marks a further stage in our programme for bringing more Toyota hybrid models to the market in Europe, cars that meet the needs of an even wider range of customers. It will be a unique proposition as the only model in the European family/compact estate car market to offer the choice of full hybrid, in addition to conventional petrol and diesel power."

Tony Walker, Deputy Managing Director TMUK, said: "The introduction of new Auris Touring Sports is great news for TMUK and the British motor industry. It confirms TMUK's status as a leading producer of core vehicles and engines for Toyota in Europe and is a testament to our members' commitment to achieving the highest quality and satisfaction that our customers demand.

"Adding the new model to our manufacturing portfolio will bring Burnaston up to its current operating production capacity, which adds to job security for both TMUK and our suppliers. And with the full hybrid model we are again proud to be supporting Toyota's leadership in developing advanced technologies for cleaner and more sustainable transport."

TMUK is the sole production centre for Auris Touring Sports, a model that has been developed exclusively for European customers. It is a compact estate car based on the British-built Auris hatchback, and will go on sale across Europe, with the first markets, such as the UK, Germany and Spain starting in July. Toyota Auris Touring Sports will take its place alongside Toyota's new Auris and new Verso compact MPV to compete at the heart of the family car market.

It is the only model in its segment to offer the option of a full hybrid powertrain, demonstrating Toyota's commitment to make the high efficiency, low emissions and smooth driving experience of its hybrid technology available to more customers. It will add to the momentum of hybrid in Europe, where it now accounts for more than 20 per cent of Toyota's new car sales. Within the Auris Touring Sports range, hybrid is expected to take a higher 45 per cent share alongside the petrol and diesel versions. The steady increase in the popularity of hybrid demonstrates how customer attitudes to the technology have matured and that it is now regarded as an affordable, reliable and desirable alternative to conventional petrol and diesel, rather than a niche choice.

TMUK has built strong expertise in hybrid vehicle manufacturing at its Deeside engine plant in North Wales and at Burnaston, since starting production of the first generation Auris Hybrid in 2010 — the first Toyota hybrid to be built in Europe.

The addition of Auris Touring Sports production at TMUK alongside the Auris and Avensis models reaffirms Toyota's commitment to building cars in the UK. Since 1992 it has invested more than Euro 2.6 billion in its operations. Currently TMUK employs more than 3,800 people and supports an extensive supplier chain in the UK, from which Toyota Motor Europe typically purchases over Euro 1 billion worth of parts a year. Its manufacturing makes a significant contribution to the British overseas trade, with around 85 per cent of vehicle production being exported to Europe and other world markets.

From the small Northern French town of Onnaing, near Valenciennes, TMMF will now export its vehicles to more than 40 countries, including destinations like South Africa, Egypt, Canada and the United States of America.

"Building on more than 10 years of experience in high quality car production, this Yaris is another endorsement of TMMF's excellence in manufacturing," said Makoto Sano, President of TMMF.

He added: "We are proud to be recognised as a true player in the Toyota organisation and welcome this new business opportunity to further strengthen TMMF's position as an important exporter in France."

Speaking at the ceremony, Toyota Motor Europe President and CEO Didier Leroy said: "The additional export market is yet another evidence of the success enjoyed by Toyota's manufacturing operations in France."

He added: "There are many reasons to preserve production of compact cars in France but all partners need to work together to maintain TMMF's competitive advantage. In Valenciennes, highly skilled and quality-minded employees that can handle complex production processes, and the proximity of good logistics and supplier networks are also major key success factors."

"With Quebec accounting for 65% of Yaris' Canadian sales, a warm welcome will be assured for this 'Made in France' vehicle," said Seiji Ichii, President and CEO of Toyota Canada Inc.

The Toyota Yaris became the first vehicle ever produced in France to be certified with the new "French Origin Guaranteed" ("Origine France Garantie") label. This certificate was created in order to help customers identify products that have more than 50% of their value manufactured in France. On the occasion of the ceremony at TMMF, Yves Jégo, Member of the French Parliament as well as founder and president of the non-profit organisation Pro France, in charge of promoting the brand "France" and the label "French Origin Guaranteed", officially presented the certificate to TMMF.

The current, third generation Toyota Yaris was launched in Europe in the summer of 2011, followed by the Toyota Yaris Hybrid in June 2012. In an overall declining B-segment, the Yaris model range grew 27% in 2012 compared to 2011, mainly supported by strong sales of the Yaris Hybrid. With sales of 182,841 vehicles, the Yaris model accounted for nearly 22% of Toyota's total European sales in 2012.