The Japanese car maker, Toyota, has announced that it will build a US$300 million plant in Australia to produce engines which will deliver reduced carbon emissions and improved fuel consumption.
Located at Altona, Melbourne, the new plant is expected to begin operations in the second half of 2012.
Toyota’s Altona plant already produces a four-cylinder engine for the current-generation Camry.
Max Yasuda, Toyota Australia’s CEO, said that new plant will manufacture more than 100,000 hybrid engines and four-cylinder new generation engines annually.
He added that investments from the Australian Government’s Green Car Innovation Fund and the Victorian State Government were major factors in getting the engine-building project off the ground.
Toyota is Australia’s largest car maker and car exporter.
Earlier this year, the company launched the Hybrid Camry, Australia’s first locally built hybrid.
