Toyota is making a major push into American manufacturing after CEO Akio Toyoda drew global attention by appearing at a NASCAR event in Japan wearing a Trump-Vance shirt and a red MAGA hat.
Just two days after the high-profile moment, the company revealed a $912 million investment aimed at boosting hybrid vehicle production across the Southern United States.
The news comes as the US and Japan continue navigating trade tensions, including a 15% tariff on Japanese auto imports, IJR reported.
The crowd at Fuji Speedway on Sunday watched Toyoda greet fans, stand beside US Ambassador to Japan George Glass, and speak about the ongoing tariff debate.
“I’m not here to argue whether tariffs are good or bad,” he said before the race. “Every national leader wants to protect their own industry. We are exploring ways to make tariffs a winner for everyone. The people we want most to be winners are our customers.”
The NASCAR-style event was packed with American flags, top drivers and patriotic displays, making Toyoda’s bold message even harder to ignore.
Glass later posted photos of himself with the Toyota chief, saying he looked forward to celebrating US motorsports again next year in Japan as part of America’s 250th-anniversary events.
Back home, Toyota — the second-largest seller of new vehicles in the US — moved forward with its plan to strengthen domestic production.
Toyota Plans $10B US Investment by 2030
The investment is part of a larger pledge to put up to $10 billion into the US by 2030, with most projects scheduled for completion by 2027.
Toyota already has a strong lead in the hybrid market, holding more than 51% of U.S. hybrid sales through the third quarter of this year.
The company says the new investment will help meet growing demand. “Customers are embracing Toyota’s hybrid vehicles, and our US manufacturing teams are gearing up to meet that growing demand,” Kevin Voelkel, senior vice president of manufacturing operations, said in a statement.
He added that Toyota aims to “build where we sell,” noting that the company continues to add American jobs while expanding its US factories.
According to the NY Post, the largest share of the new funds — $453 million — will go to Toyota’s plant in Buffalo, West Virginia, to increase assembly of four-cylinder, hybrid-ready engines.
Another $204.4 million will expand similar engine production in Georgetown, Kentucky.
The company is also putting $125 million into its Blue Springs, Mississippi, facility to expand Corolla manufacturing and add hybrid vehicle production.
Smaller but still significant investments include $71.4 million for the Jackson, Tennessee, plant and $57.1 million for the Troy, Missouri, facility. In total, Toyota says the upgrades will create 252 new jobs.
The back-to-back announcements — Toyoda’s bold political-themed appearance followed by a nearly $1 billion US investment.
Originally published on vcpost.com
