Toyota Prius To Have “Made in USA” Label
Toyota Prius To Have “Made in USA” Label
edmunds.com
TOKYO — While Toyota is insisting that “nothing has been decided about building the Prius at NUMMI,” a Japanese newspaper says the automaker is in talks with General Motors about building the popular hybrid at New United Motor Manufacturing Inc., or NUMMI, in Fremont, California.
Such a move would help to satisfy the growing demand among U.S. consumers for hybrids as gas prices continue to rise. It would also give the Japanese automaker the advantage of slapping a “Made in USA” label on the Prius, as a nod to the “buy American” crowd.
“We are always considering what should be the optimum structure of our production efforts, but nothing has been decided about building the Prius at NUMMI,” said Toyota Motor Corporation in a statement issued late Thursday night.
The Tokyo Shimbun newspaper, citing unnamed sources, said Toyota is currently in talks with GM about building the world’s first mass-produced gas-electric hybrid in the U.S. The NUMMI joint venture makes the Toyota Corolla, Tacoma, and the Pontiac Vibe. The Prius is currently built in Japan and China.
Toyota announced in May that sales of the Prius topped 1 million vehicles since the launch in Japan in 1997.
What this means to you: Toyota doesn’t appear to be denying that talks are in progress, so that may be a positive sign for those anxious to get their hands on a Prius in the future. — Anita Lienert, Correspondent
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