Toyota plans to cut North American production due to pandemic

PLANO, Tex. (REUTERS/WTVQ) – Toyota plans to cut North American production by nearly a third from now until October due to the coronavirus pandemic, according to a report by Reuters.

The report says the automaker is gradually resuming output at its seven North American sites, including the plant in Georgetown, Kentucky, which is Toyota’s largest vehicle manufacturing plant in the world.

The Georgetown plant is capable of producing 550,000 vehicles and more than 600,000 engines a year, according to Toyota.

Since 1988, over 11 million vehicles have rolled off Toyota’s assembly lines in Georgetown, where full-time employment is more than 8,000.

In addition to the Camry, TMMK manufactures the Camry Hybrid, Avalon, Avalon Hybrid and Lexus ES 350, as well as four-cylinder and V-6 engines.

Toyota idled its North American plants for seven weeks beginning in March due the coronavirus outbreak.

A spokeswoman for Toyota declined to comment on the Reuters production plan report.