Toyota tops 9 million in Europe

Toyota vehicle production in Europe has passed nine million units. Local production has flourished so that two out of every three Toyota vehicles sold in Europe is built in the region

Toyota has six vehicle plants and three powertrain factories in Europe.

In Britain Toyota Manufacturing UK has been producing cars at Burneston in Derbyshire and engines at Deeside in North Wales since 1992. The Burneston operation currently builds all versions of Auris and Avensis, and is Toyota’s first centre for hybrid vehicle production in Europe.

Didier Leroy, president and chief executive officer of Toyota Motor Europe claims the company’s European operations are profitable, thanks to three consecutive years of growth in Europe and the prospective of a further rise in sales volume this year.

He added: “Looking ahead, we have every reason to remain optimistic. With the recent launch of the new generation Aygo and Yaris, we have the youngest offerings in the compact car market. We are confident they will reinforce our position in the city car and super-mini segments and strengthen the foundations of our European manufacturing operations.”

Toyota’s European designers have increased their autonomy from Japan in the development of new models tailored to suit European drivers’ tastes, including new Aygo, Yaris and the CH-R crossover concept revealed in Paris.

Europe is adopting a more significant role as global planning centre to define future generations of cars competing in the core A, B and C segments.

Toyota’s European manufacturing began in 1971 with the opening of the Toyota Caetano plant in Portugal, which initially built Corolla models. Forty-three years later, Toyota has manufacturing centres in seven European countries, the result of an investment of more than €8 billion.

The facility in Portugal was followed in 1992 with the plant of Toyota Manufacturing UK (TMUK) at Burneston, Derbyshire. TMUK also produces 1.6 and 1.8-litre gasoline engines and assembles hybrid engines at Deeside.

Toyota Motor Manufacturing Turkey, established in 1994, currently builds Verso and Corolla models, while Toyota Motor Manufacturing France, based in Valenciennes in northern France, is the centre for Yaris production in Europe, including the hybrid.

Toyota Motor Manufacturing Poland produces 1-litre gasoline engines for Aygo and Yaris, together with manual transmissions used in Auris, Avensis, Verso, Corolla and Aygo. The plant opened in 2002.

Toyota Motor Industries Poland is home to production of 2- and 2.2-litre diesel engines for Avensis, Auris and RAV4 and the 1.4-litre D-4D unit featured in Yaris, Auris and Corolla. The factory has been in operation since 2005.

Toyota Peugeot Citroën Automobile Czech is a joint venture with PSA Peugeot Citroën. It was set up in Kolin in the Czech Republic in 2005 to build Aygo, alongside the Citroën C1 and Peugeot 108.

Toyota Motor Russia is Toyota’s newest European production centre. It began operations in St Petersburg in 2007 to manufacture Camry saloons. This year it will add stamping and plastics production to its business and it is preparing to manufacture RAV4 from 2016.

Toyota employs some 20,000 people, increasing to 94,000 when the retail network is included. The company has a network of 400 suppliers in Europe, sourcing parts from 600 manufacturing facilities.

Today, 20 per cent of Toyota and Lexus vehicles sold in Europe are hybrids and most are built in Europe. In the year-to-date, European hybrid sales have already surpassed 131,000.