Here’s the chance for all the green people to buy suitable transport. Toyota have confirmed the information that their hybrid Prius will be made at Toyota Motor Thailand’s Gateway Plant from late November.
Thai production of the Prius, which has sales figures of two million globally since it was launched in Japan in 1997, and follows production of the Camry Hybrid in Thailand since last year.
New Prius
According to the blurb, this local production is “part of its effort to further popularize hybrid vehicles worldwide.
Prius is now into its third generation and is sold in more than 70 markets globally, with most sales going to North America (939,100), followed by Japan (826,900) and Europe (206,100).
A record 400,000 Prius cars were sold around the world last year, helping Toyota record more than 2.8 million hybrid vehicles sales globally.
Toyota also build (mainly for export) the Toyota HiLux and adding to the examples of local exports will be the new Mazda BT-50 and Ford Ranger from mid-2011 as are most of Honda’s model range.
Ford and Mazda both produce Fiesta and Mazda2 for export while a new Suzuki plant in Thailand could produce Swift and Splash models for Australia from 2012. Add to those exports, the locally produced Nissan March (Micra).
Ford’s new plant, being built as you read this, will produce its third-generation Focus – currently built in Germany but to be built here 2012.
There is no reason to be despondent in the Thai Auto industry.
