UK – Work will begin this year to upgrade the Derbyshire plant with new equipment, technology and systems to produce vehicles based on the Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA) platform. The overall investment, equivalent to $296.7m, will be supported by £21.3m from the UK Government for training, R&D, and improvements to Burnaston's environmental performance.
“We are very focused on securing the global competitiveness of our European plants. The roll-out of TNGA manufacturing capability is part of this plan,” said Johan van Zyl, president and CEO of Toyota Motor Europe. “This upgrade of TMUK is a sign of confidence in our employees and suppliers and their focus on superior quality and greater efficiency.” However, he added that: “Continued tariff- and barrier-free market access between the UK and Europe that is predictable and uncomplicated will be vital for future success.”
Toyota is upgrading its plants across the world to manufacture TNGA-based vehicles, which will form the majority of the OEM’s global offering by 2020. TNGA is already used for the fourth-generation Prius and the new C-HR crossover.