Toyota is preparing to rev up production of hybrids, announcing Tuesday its third plant in Japan for producing batteries that are key components for the "green" cars. Last week, it announced that it was building a second such battery plant. Toyota Motor Corp. has emerged the world leader in hybrids with its hit Prius, which has sold more than a cumulative 1 million vehicles over the last decade. Sometime after 2010, it hopes to sell 1 million hybrids a year. Toyota also produces a Camry hybrid in Japan and at its Georgetown, Ky., plant.
For that, it needs to boost battery production as Honda Motor Co. and other automakers aim to catch up with their new gas-and-electric hybrids, a technology that is growing in appeal for the world's drivers as gas prices soar.
The $291 million plant in northern Japan will be operated by Panasonic EV Energy Co., Toyota's joint venture with Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. Set to be running by 2010, the factory will make nickel-metal hydride batteries, with production capacity at 200,000 a year, with start-up production at about half of that. The latest move follows a similar announcement just last week about Toyota's plans to build a $194 million plant in central Japan, also to produce nickel-metal hydride batteries for gas-electric hybrid vehicles. Hybrids reduce pollution and emissions that are linked to global warming by switching between a gasoline engine and an electric motor to deliver better mileage than comparable standard cars. Last week, Honda said it will boost hybrid sales to 500,000 a year by sometime after 2010. Honda said it will introduce a new hybrid-only model next year for a lineup of four hybrids.
Herald-Leader
