With General Motors now officially terminating its joint-venture at the New United Motor Manufacturing Inc. factory, Toyota is weighing several options for the California plant. While many options are currently on the table, Toyota could be favoring altering the NUMMI plant to produce the company’s popular Prius hybrid.
Although a decision has yet to be made, shifting Prius production to the NUMMI plant could be one of the plant’s top prospects. ”We’ve upgraded the facilities during the past five to six years,” a senior official told Kyodo News. ”It would be physically possible to manufacture the Prius.”
The NUMMI plant currently produces the Pontiac Vibe and Toyota Corolla and Matrix but will be losing the Vibe come August. GM announced last month that it will be leaving the 25-year joint-venture in bankruptcy court with the ‘old’ GM.
Although Prius production at the NUMMI plant would give the factory enough volume to stay in business, that decision would leave Toyota with a vacant U.S. production facility. Toyota is current scheduled to begin Prius production at its Tupelo, Mississippi plant, which was actually originally built to produce the Toyota Highlander SUV. That plant is now fully built but is void of any machinery.
Toyota hasn’t completely ruled out shuttering the NUMMI plant altogether, but doesn’t have that scenario high up on its list. ”A shutdown is also an option, but it would be very challenging for Toyota, which has little experience in closing down big plants,” a Toyota official said.
