Toyota Starts Hybrid Vehicle Production in North America

Tokyo ― TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION (TMC) announced today that it held a line-off ceremony for the Camry Hybrid at Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Kentucky, Inc. (TMMK) on October 12 (October 13, Japan time), marking the beginning of Toyota hybrid vehicle production in North America.

Among those attending the ceremony were United States Senator Jim Bunning, Kentucky Governor Ernie Fletcher, TMMK President Steve St. Angelo, Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc. President Seiichi Sudo and Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. Senior Vice President Don Esmond.

At the ceremony, St. Angelo said, "We are proud, excited and honored to be Toyota's first plant in North America to build a hybrid vehicle. It's a great tribute to the tremendous ability and skill level of all of our team members, who have been building the Camry, America's number one selling sedan."

TMMK, which invested approximately 10 million U.S. dollars toward production of the Camry Hybrid, will have a Camry Hybrid annual production capacity of 48,000 units.

Since the start of sales of the Camry Hybrid in North America in May this year, a total of approximately 23,000 units have been sold as of the end of September. Cumulatively, starting with the Prius in 2000 and including the Highlander Hybrid, the RX400h and the GS450h, approximately 420,000 Toyota and Lexus hybrid vehicles have been sold in North America as of the end of September 2006. Toyota continues to actively introduce new hybrid products, including the LS600h―which is scheduled for market introduction in 2007, to further promote the widespread use of hybrid vehicles.