Brussels – Toyota Motor Manufacturing Turkey (TMMT) in Sakarya is set to produce the second generation of the Toyota C-HR. The new vehicle will be available in hybrid and plug-in hybrid versions, making it the first plug-in hybrid passenger car to be produced in Turkey and the first European plant of Toyota to start producing plug-in hybrid vehicles.
Toyota is committed to reducing carbon emissions and offering appropriate carbon reduction opportunities in Europe, the largest and most competitive market segment. The hybrid version of the new Toyota C-HR will be joined by the new plug-in hybrid model, which will feature locally assembled batteries. This expands Toyota’s multi-technology offer as part of its goal to achieve 100% CO2 reduction in its vehicle lineup in Europe by 2035.
Plug-in Hybrid Vehicle and Battery Production Marks Strategic Milestone in Europe
The production of the new vehicle will be accompanied by the construction of a new plug-in battery assembly line within the TMMT facility. This line will have a capacity of 75,000 units per year and will start production in December 2023, creating 60 new skilled jobs. The new battery assembly line is a strategic milestone for Toyota’s electrification transformation and will support other Toyota Europe plants in the future with capable manpower and know-how. The total investment for the project will be around €317 million, bringing the overall cumulative investment in TMMT to around €2.3 billion.
Towards Carbon Neutrality
Toyota is committed to achieving full carbon neutrality in Europe by 2040, with the goal of carbon neutrality in all its manufacturing facilities by 2030. TMMT is working towards this goal by introducing technologies to minimize energy consumption and switching to renewable energy within the plant. This includes new paint shop technologies to reduce CO2 emissions and the use of solar energy to make the plant self-sufficient in its energy use.
Quotes
“In this project, which reveals TMMT’s high-quality vehicle production experience and advanced engineering ability, we will implement our responsibilities with great dedication,” says Erdoğan Şahin, Toyota Motor Manufacturing Turkey President & CEO. “This represents an exciting step forward for TMMT’s future as it continues to produce popular attractive and high quality models. This project once again confirms that our production facility in Sakarya is a globally important place for Toyota.”
Marvin Cooke, Toyota Motor Europe Executive Vice President Manufacturing Europe adds, “We are proud to announce that TMMT will produce the second-generation Toyota C-HR including the first plug-in hybrid vehicle in Europe. The outstanding performance and dedication of our TMMT employees will make this new model a great success, just like its predecessor. It also marks another important milestone with the start of our first battery assembly line in Europe, which is an important step in our European electrification plan.”
Toyota Motor Europe NV/SA (TME) oversees the wholesale sales and marketing of Toyota, GR (Gazoo Racing), and Lexus vehicles, as well as parts and accessories, and Toyota’s European manufacturing and engineering operations. The company directly employs over 25,000 people and has invested over EUR 11 billion in Europe since 1990. Its eight European manufacturing plants are located in Portugal, the UK, France, Poland, Czech Republic, and Turkey.
