Prius to be American-made

2008 Toyota Prius Touring Edition.

(Credit: Toyota)

Americans will soon have another feel-good reason to buy a Prius.

Prius production in the U.S. will begin in late 2010 at a plant currently under construction in Blue Springs, Miss., Toyota announced Thursday.

So, aside from saving on the cost of gas through better gas mileage and raising environmental awareness, buying a Prius will soon be a product made by American workers...or at least assembled by them.

Toyota said the change is in response to consumer demand in North America.

As it's been widely reported, there's been a Prius shortage in the U.S. with some consumers being forced to wait as long as three months and pay as much as $3,000 over sticker price. Even celebrity techies have been told to wait their turn.

Meanwhile, sales of Toyota SUVs have gone down and Toyota is responding to that change as well.

The company is halting production of its Tundra and Sequoia SUVs as of August 8 due to the decrease in consumer demand. Production is scheduled to resume in November and the workers of those plants "will continue to be provided work," Toyota said in a statement.

The Japan-based company also plans to consolidate the production of its Tundra, a full-size pick-up truck produced in both Indiana and Texas, to one plant in San Antonio starting in spring 2009.

"The truck market continues to worsen, so unfortunately we must temporarily suspend production," Jim Wiseman, vice president of external affairs for Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, said in a statement.

Wiseman also said that the introduction of the Prius into company plant plans is an example of Toyota's long-term commitment to suppliers, workers, and their communities in North America.

There is no word on whether the plant changes will result in the loss of U.S. jobs.

Toyota does produce the Camry hybrid in the U.S. already and that production shall continue, according to the company.

Toyota also announced in early June that it plans to produce a Prius with solar panels as early as 2009 and a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle available for purchase in the U.S. in 2010. Toyota, however, has not yet said where the vehicles will be produced.

[SmBizMan]

I would have emailed, but I can't find email addresses anywhere.

I suggest you re-read your article and fix your spelling/typos.

I won't be offended if you delete this comment.

[RobertFHarwood]

If you had clicked on her name you would have gotten her email address at GMail.

[SmBizMan]

I would have emailed, but I can't find email addresses anywhere.

I suggest you re-read your article and fix your spelling/typos.

I won't be offended if you delete this comment.

[geognerd]

The Tundra is produced in Princeton, Indiana, not India. Probably just a typo, but an important one since the article is about auto production in the US.

[candacelombardi]

Thanks very much for pointing out the typo. I did mean Indiana and not India.

[markb1967]

this is the PERFECT car to go all electric....COME ON TOYOTA, this is your chance to be the HERO, to do the RIGHT thing for the consumer, and the WORLD... GM had a chance with the EV-1 in the 1990s, but they let GREED get in the way, recalled the cars, and crushed them in the desert... Toyota, you can do it with this car, it wouldn't take much to remove the gas power, and go all electric....JUST DO IT.

[Scopip]

Perfect car? How about getting a real CF car out there. They even sell CF bikes at walmart now. Its time we get one at a car dealership.

[ferretboy88]

Most Prius Owners are the type that doesn't want an American car because they can't stand the country. Drive around 90 mph with your nose up in the air because you are saving the planet. Drive the car the way it was made to be driven.