Toyota to Make Hybrid Drivetrain Components Outside Japan in 4 Years

Currently, Toyota sources batteries, inverters and motors solely from their home country in Japan for all its hybrid vehicles, including the most popular Toyota Prius.

 

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After the Massive Japan Earthquake & Tsunami, it has shown the vulnerability of the decision to put all of your eggs in one basket by most of the Japanese Automakers.

 

As a result, Toyota aims to make hybrid drivetrain components in the United States and elsewhere overseas within 4 years.

 

“Right now, hybrid component production is too biased toward Japan,” Shinichi Sasaki, Toyota’s executive vice president in charge of global purchasing, told Automotive News in North America.

 

He said the new strategy calls for making the components at global production centres that will ship the parts to hybrid vehicle assembly plants worldwide. The components likely would be built in North America and other markets such as Southeast Asia and China, he predicted.

 

Photo Gallery: Toyota Hybrids

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