New United Motor Manufacturing, Inc. --NUMMI-- Starts Production of Right-Hand Drive Toyota Voltz for the Japanese Market

    FREMONT, Calif.--June 3, 2002--NUMMI, the joint venture of Toyota and General Motors, starts production of the brand-new Toyota Voltz today. Voltz, a right-hand drive version of the Pontiac Vibe launched earlier this year at NUMMI, will be exported to Japan and sold through the Netz dealer channel as a Toyota vehicle.
    Toyota Motor Corporation Director Yukitoshi Funo and General Motors Group Vice President of Advanced Vehicle Development Mark Hogan, will join NUMMI President and CEO Kanji Ishii in toasting this historic occasion. Consul General of Japan Shigeru Nakamura, U.S. Department of Commerce Deputy Assistant Secretary for Transportation and Machinery Joseph H. Bogosian, and Toyota National Dealers Advisory Council-Netz Channel Committee Chairman Masahiro Morikawa will also join in driving the first Voltz vehicles off the assembly line.
    "Today, NUMMI comes full circle with the production of Voltz," said Ishii. "This is a vote of confidence from our parent companies, and the entire NUMMI team welcomes the challenge of producing vehicles with the high level of quality expected by Japanese customers."
    "NUMMI has successfully shown that it could produce world-class quality vehicles, and GM and Toyota have continued to support NUMMI in its mission. Today, GM and Toyota have taken their collaboration one step further in the area of vehicle development," noted Funo.
    "Both Pontiac Vibe and Toyota Voltz will build on the long-standing foundation of product quality and manufacturing excellence established at NUMMI," added Hogan. "The continued success of NUMMI and its reputation for producing high quality vehicles is very important to General Motors and our future business goals."
    Voltz is the third all-new vehicle launched at NUMMI this year. In January, the plant started production of the 2003 Pontiac Vibe and 2003 Toyota Corolla. For these three products, NUMMI created an additional 500 jobs in manufacturing, bringing employment at the plant to an all-time high of 5,100. NUMMI's hourly team members are represented by the UAW Local 2244.
    Capital investment to launch the three passenger models at NUMMI was $200 million. Major construction involved the expansion of the stamping plant to add a new, large-size stamping press, the installation of all-new body welding equipment, and the addition of the plastics molding equipment.
    To produce Voltz, some equipment had to be modified to accommodate the right-hand drive configuration, notably in the assembly and functional inspection areas. Team members were trained to be able to quickly switch between standard and right-hand drive vehicles, which are built on the same assembly line.
    With Voltz, Toyota seeks to develop a new market with a new type of vehicle in Japan. Voltz defies traditional vehicle categories, blending the powerful style of an SUV and the sportiness of a coupe. Outside, Voltz' tall stance and wide body are elegantly combined with a compact design. Inside, Voltz is all about roominess and versatility. The rear seat can be folded away to create a flat, spacious luggage area.
    Voltz will be built exclusively at NUMMI. Production volume for 2002 will be 11,000 units. Voltz sales will start in August through Netz dealerships. Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., the marketing, sales, distribution and customer service arm of Toyota in America, will handle export of the Voltz. TMS will now send abroad 10 different U.S.-built models to overseas markets.
    NUMMI is the joint venture of Toyota and General Motors located in Fremont, California. It has been a leader in vehicle quality for many years. Most recently, in the J.D. Power and Associates' 2002 Initial Quality Study(SM), NUMMI received the Bronze Plant Quality Award (in a tie). The Toyota Corolla ranked as "Best Compact Car in Initial Quality" and the Toyota Tacoma as "Best Compact Pickup in Initial Quality". NUMMI builds the Toyota Voltz, the Pontiac Vibe, the Toyota Corolla, and the Toyota Tacoma pickup truck.