"The addition of the Camry hybrid to Toyota's Georgetown plant not only brings the production of a more eco-friendly vehicle, but according to the Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Kentucky, Inc. chairman, it keeps the Georgetown plant and its 7,000 employees needed in the Toyota family.
"The Camry hybrid is another solid vehicle to ensure the job security here," Gary Convis, TMMK chairman, said following a ceremony celebrating the first Camry hybrid manufactured outside of Japan.
While only 17 of the mix gasoline/electric cars were scheduled to roll off the line during its first day of production, according to Toyota spokesman Rich Hesterberg, the plant should be rolling out around 4,000 a month by Thanksgiving.
The engine and electronic system on the new Camry isn't the only hybrid synergy occurring at the plant. The same assembly line producing the Camry hybrid is also cranking out conventional Camrys as well as the two-door version of the Camry, the Solara.
Though not produced outside of Japan until now, the hybrid version of the Camry has already been available to those lucky enough to find one as a Japanese plant has been producing the car on the same line as their first hybrid, the Prius.
With Camry hybrid production ramping up in the Bluegrass, the Japanese plant will be able to scale back some of its Camry production to focus more on the highly popular Prius, which is only available in hybrid form.
Convis said this new configuration, which will still produce some Camry hybrids in Japan, will allow for more of both vehicles to be available for sale to try to keep up with demand for the more environmentally friendly cars.
One potential customer is the Commonwealth of Kentucky, Gov. Ernie Fletcher said during the Camry ceremony. The state already has a small number of Priuses in the motor pool and, in an executive order announced by Fletcher, will seek to obtain more hybrids, including the Camrys, which manage 40 miles per gallon in the city and 38 per gallon on the highway. That is, if the state can "get a good deal," he quipped.
Deal or no, the money saved on gas for the state fleet could be in the millions, Fletcher said, as these Camrys could go more than 600 miles before needing a fill-up. Fletcher said his order also directs the state to reexamine what vehicles were being used for what purpose to keep gas-guzzling sport utility vehicles and large sedans from being used to complete jobs that can be done with a more fuel-efficient vehicle.
Regardless of a deal with Kentucky, Toyota plans to sell 300,000 of their hybrids in the U.S. during 2007. Beside the Prius and Camry, Toyota also makes a hybrid version of their mid-sized SUV Highlander, the Lexus SUV RX 400h and the luxury sedan Lexus GS 450h.
Earlier this year, Toyota announced a collaboration with a southern Indiana Subaru plant to begin producing the conventional Camry, which has consistently been America's top-selling car. The Indiana line is expected to start cranking out Camrys in the spring on a line that is capable of producing 100,000 cars annually. In 2005, the Georgetown plant rolled out 356,428 Camrys and is anticipating more this year with the addition of the line making both the hybrid and conventional Camry. Toyota's Georgetown plant is capable of producing half a million cars annually.