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29 March 2024

Toyota, Mazda to build new US plant in Alabama: reports

Published
By AFP

Japanese automakers Toyota and Mazda are expected to announce Wednesday that their $1.6 billion joint US manufacturing plant will be built in the Southern state of Alabama, US media reported.

Toyota and Mazda have scheduled a news conference to discuss the joint venture plant at 2000 GMT Wednesday. The companies last year announced plans to build a new US factory creating up to 4,000 jobs.
 
Press reports varied as to the exact location of the new factory. Bloomberg cited an unnamed source who said it would be located in Montgomery in central Alabama, while the New York Times said it would be near Huntsville in the northern part of the state.

The Raleigh News and Observer reported that North Carolina lost the project to Alabama because it lacked the "supply chain logistics that the car companies want," the paper said, citing a person familiar with the matter.

Toyota said it will produce the Corolla sedan at the new plant, while Mazda will build new "cross-over" vehicles, with all models aimed at the North American market.

The companies plan to begin production at the plant in 2021, according to the August 2017 announcement.