Toyota considers building hybrid car in UK
Toyota is considering producing a hybrid version of its Auris hatchback model in the UK, the company confirmed.
If it moves ahead with the plan, the car would be its first hybrid petrol-electric model to be built in Europe and one of the first to be made outside of Japan by the company, which dominates the segment globally.
The world’s largest carmaker said that it was investigating the possibility of building a hybrid Auris in Britain, but declined to comment further on its plans.
“At the moment, we’re currently investigating,” Karen Bradley, a spokeswoman for the company based at its plant in Burnaston, Derbyshire, told the Financial Times. “We can’t confirm anything at this stage.”
Nikkan Jidosha Shimbun, the Japanese industry daily, reported earlier on Tuesday that Toyota would produce the car in the UK from about 2012.
Toyota produced 102,000 units of the Auris model in its petrol-engined version in the UK last year. The carmaker also makes the model in Turkey.
The car was Toyota’s third best-selling car in the first five months of this year.
Source: Financial Times
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