Toyota says its Japanese plants are running at nearly full capacity producing 50,000 Prius hybrids a month – a full 50 percent higher than the automaker anticipated thanks to healthy Prius demand especially in the domestic market. Toyota’s Tsutsumi plant produces a Prius about once every minute in an effort to meet the 140,000 orders in Japan.
Last month, the Prius overtook the Honda Insight as the best-selling vehicle in Japan and all indications so far suggest that June’s sales will again be led by the Toyota hybrid.
Toyota has still not decided when it will begin production of the Prius at its Tupelo, Mississippi, plant in the United States. The automaker hasn’t indicated the strength of demand in the North American market, though Prius sales are down about 45 percent for the year and they dropped off about 30 percent last month compared to the same period in 2008. The redesigned Prius did not go on sale until last month, however, meaning inventory was not likely at the ideal level.
