Toyota Completes New Facilities in China, Reaffirms Commitment to Localized R&D and Production | Toyota Motor Corporation Official Global Website

Changshu, China, November 14, 2013―Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) held a ceremony today to celebrate the completion of a number of new R&D facilities at Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (China) Co., Ltd. (TMEC) in the Changshu New and Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone¹. The new facilities will play a key role in Toyota's ongoing efforts to localize production in China.

The completion ceremony was attended by special guests from the provincial and municipal governments as well as Japanese ambassador to China Masato Kitera and representatives from local joint venture partners China FAW Group Corporation and Guangzhou Automobile Group Co., Ltd. From TMC, executive vice presidents Mitsuhisa Kato and Yasumori Ihara, among others, attended.

Main building

Green parking spaces and roof

Test circuit

During the ceremony, Kato stated: "Our goal is to continue to exceed the expectations of Chinese consumers. This means listening to what they say and making no compromises in creating the best cars possible. I believe TMEC will play a vital role in this regard." TMC Senior Managing Officer and TMEC President Tadashi Yamashina followed: "This is just the beginning. We must now work to execute our goals of localizing production of environmental technologies and making cars that meet the needs of Chinese consumers."

This ceremony marks the completion of TMEC's core facilities, including a vehicle test course, technology testing facilities and the Energy Saving and New Energy Vehicle Technical Center². As a development center for cutting-edge component technologies, TMEC will leverage its new infrastructure to popularize environmental technologies in China.

Through TMEC, Toyota has made steady progress in developing Chinese-made hybrid systems. At today’s ceremony, Toyota also announced the establishment of a new battery production company and local production of key components, such as inverters and transaxles. Plans call for the introduction of locally-built hybrid systems in vehicles produced and sold through joint ventures around 2015.

Overview of Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (China) Co., Ltd. (TMEC)

Location	Changshu New and Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone, Changshu, China
Representatives	Chairman: Mitsuhisa Kato (TMC executive vice president) President: Tadashi Yamashina (TMC senior managing officer)
Capital	234 million U.S. dollars
Overhead investment (planned)	689 million U.S. dollars (land, buildings, test course, test facilities, others.)
Equity participation	Toyota Motor Corporation: 100%
Site area	Approx. 2,340,000 square meters (including 69,000 square meters for buildings and 740,000 square meters for a test track)
Major facilities (planned)	Test facilities, including chassis dynamometers, as well as test tracks (including tracks for high-speed, durability, and marketability testing).
Employees	Approx. 320 (As of November 1, 2013)
Establishment	November 17, 2010
Start of operations	April 2011

¹Formerly known as the Changshu Southeast Economic Development Zone
²Facility for carrying out broad communication on environmental technologies with joint-venture partners, suppliers, other manufacturers, and other external stakeholders

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TMEC completion ceremony
TMEC completion ceremony
TMEC completion ceremony group photo
TMEC President Tadashi Yamashina speaking at TMEC completion ceremony
TMC Executive Vice President Mitsuhisa Kato speaking at TMEC completion ceremony
TMCI Executive Vice President Dong Changzheng speaking at TMEC completion ceremony
TMEC main building
TMEC main building
New energy technical center
New energy testing building no.1
New energy testing building no.1
Transmission/engine testing room
Vehicle testing lab
New energy main building hall
Testing facility no.1
Exhaust testing
Environmental evaluation testing
Propulsion building
Water treatment system
Water treatment system
Green parking spaces and roof
Test circuit
Multi-purpose testing paddock
Durability testing track
Incline track
Low-friction track