Toyota, GM to Invest $143 Million in U.S. Production Overhaul

Washington DC July 14, 2005; The AIADA newsletter reported that Toyota and GM will reportedly spend $143 million over the next five years in an effort to overhaul the automakers’ joint New United Motor Manufacturing Inc. (NUMMI) production facility in Freemont, California, Japan’s Nihon Keizai reported today, according to Reuters.

The NUMMI facility, established in 1984, produces the Toyota Corolla, Toyota Tacoma and GM’s Pontiac Vibe. Last year, the plant produced 380,679 vehicles, 311,453 of which were Toyota-brand vehicles. According to Reuters, “The operator of a car plant in Fremont, California, will use 7-8 billion yen of the money by 2007 to upgrade a painting line. An assembly line will also be renovated.” With this new expansion plan, NUMMI’s production is set to increase to a record 410,000 vehicles in 2005, the Nihon Keizai reports.

Toyota has yet to confirm reports, but a spokeswoman for the automaker said Toyota was considering improvements to the plant.