Toyota announced today that the second generation of the Toyota C-HR will be manufactured at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Turkey (TMMT) in Sakarya, Turkey.
Available in hybrid and plug-in hybrid versions, the new Toyota C-HR will also be the first plug-in hybrid passenger car to be manufactured in Turkey.
Besides, TMMT will be the first European Toyota plant to start manufacturing plug-in hybrid vehicles, and also the first to have a battery production line.
“We are proud to announce that TMMT will build the second generation of the Toyota C-HR, including the first plug-in hybrid vehicle in Europe. The exceptional performance and dedication of TMMT workers will make this new model a great success, just like its predecessor. It is also another important milestone with the commissioning of our first battery assembly line in Europe, which is a fundamental step for our European electrification plan.” Marvin Cooke, Executive Vice President of Manufacturing, Toyota Motor Europe explained.
A strategic milestone in Europe
Alongside the vehicle production line, TMMT will install a new plug-in battery assembly line, with a capacity of 75,000 units per year. Plug-in hybrid battery assembly will begin in December 2023, creating around 60 new skilled jobs.
The creation of a battery assembly line at TMMT marks a strategic milestone for Toyota’s electrification transformation, and will also support other Toyota European plants in the future with skilled labor and specialist knowledge.
The total investment in this project will be around €317 million, which will bring the cumulative global investment in TMMT to around 2.3 Bn. As part of the investment in the new model, TMMT will improve and enhance its production line, thereby laying the foundations to meet future requirements for production diversity and flexibility, a key factor in Toyota Europe’s corporate sustainability strategy.
An enviromentally friendly plant
Toyota is committed to achieving carbon neutrality in Europe by 2040, and aims to achieve carbon neutrality in all of its factories by 2030.
TMMT is advancing towards that goal by introducing technologies that minimize energy consumption while at the same time time, taking the step towards renewable energy at the Sakarya plant. These measures include the introduction of new painting technologies, which will minimize CO2 emissions, and the use of solar energy, with a view to making the factory self-providing for its energy use.
“In this project, which reflects TMMT’s experience and advanced technical capacity in the production of high-quality vehicles, we will fulfill our responsibilities with the utmost dedication. This is an exciting step forward for the future of TMMT, which will continue to build popular, high-quality models. This project once again confirms that our production facility in Sakarya is a point of global importance for Toyota. I am proud to announce this important milestone on behalf of our employees and our valued suppliers. As one team, we will continue to contribute to the economy of Sakarya and the whole of Turkey by working together with all our energy.” Erdoğan Şahin, President and CEO of Toyota Motor Manufacturing Turkey said.
