Nov. 29, 2010

Toyota Holds Line-off Ceremony for 'Prius' in Thailand

 

Samutprakan, Thailand, November 29, 2010―Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) announces that Toyota Motor Thailand Co., Ltd. (TMT), TMC's sales and production company based here, held a line-off ceremony today at its Gateway Plant in Chachoengsao Province to mark the start of production of the "Prius".  The plant is to produce approximately 12,000 units annually, with sales to begin on November 30, priced from 1,190,000 to 1,270,000 baht.

Chachoengsao Vice Governor Bundit Thereethivarak and TMT President Kyoichi Tanada were among the attendees at the ceremony.  Tanada said: "It is indeed a proud moment for us to see Prius production start here at Gateway Plant.  This is proof positive of the increasing level of Thai manufacturing on both quality and safety fronts."

Thai consumer interest in the environment and energy-saving technologies has been growing, and the start of production and sales of Prius―the first time the third-generation Prius has been produced outside Japan―follows the start of Thai production and sales of the "Camry Hybrid" sedan in 2009.

The Prius, launched in 1997, topped cumulative global sales of 2 million units at the end of September this year.

Toyota, under its founding philosophy of contributing to society through the manufacture of automobiles, will continue to strive to produce vehicles that meet consumers' needs.
Outline of TMT
Company name Toyota Motor Thailand Co., Ltd.
Established 1962
President Kyoichi Tanada
Equity participation Toyota Motor Corporation: 86.4%; The Siam Cement Public Company Ltd.: 10.0%; others: 3.6%
Plant name Samrong Plant (including
Thai Auto Works Co., Ltd.)
Gateway Plant Ban Pho Plant
Location Samutprakarn Province
(approx. 15 km south of Bangkok)
Chachoengsao Province
(approx. 110 km southeast of Bangkok)
Chachoengsao Province
(approx. 65 km southeast of Bangkok)
Product lineup Hilux Camry, Camry Hybrid, Corolla, Prius, Vios, Wish and Yaris Hilux and Fortuner
2009 production results 435,000 units (including CKD production)
Number of employees Approx. 14,800 (as of September 30, 2010)