Detroit’s ‘Big 3’ automakers probably don’t want to hear about the fact that the Tundra plant in Texas produces one truck every minute. This information was released by Toyota prior to its first assembly of the Tundra.
As Detroit’s Big 3, which is made up of General Motors Corp., DaimlerChrysler AG and Ford Motor Co., struggles to maintain its position in the truck segment, Toyota plans to build a total of 200,000 trucks each year. Such production is attributed to the highly automated and sophisticated facilities at its new Tundra plant in Texas.
Mike Goss, a spokesman for Toyota, said: “If consumer demand brings the plant on the south side of San Antonio to full capacity, which could be as early as next spring, one truck will come off the line on average every 73 seconds”. He added: “From start to finish, a truck will take 20 to 24 hours to complete.”
In addition to the Texas plant, performance parts for the Toyota Tundra are also assembled at Toyota’s Princeton, Indiana plant. However, production is boosted by the active participation of the new plant in Texas. Toyota’s Tundra plant in Texas, along with its 21 on-site suppliers, is expected to employ 4,100 people. Such information was previously announced by Toyota.
Don Jackson, vice president of quality and production for Toyota’s Texas division, said, “Suppliers will provide about 70 percent of the parts used on Tundras and 50 percent of the parts value on each truck.”
Tundra replaced the T100. The second-generation version of the Tundra, which was unveiled at the 2007 Chicago Auto Show, gets bigger to serve as a powerful rival to the Ford F-Series, Chevrolet Silverado, Dodge Ram and Nissan Titan. Accessories Toyota Tundra truck parts are also upgraded to improve quality and functionality.
Automotive analysts say Toyota is poised to overtake General Motors Corp. as the world’s largest automaker. Also, Toyota is initiating strategies to win the reign. So far, such strategies are making a good impression in the automotive world.
Today, Toyota and Ford are spending millions to unseat Ford in the pickup truck segment. However, no other automaker has succeeded in overthrowing Ford’s throne. It has dominated the segment for several decades. In fact, its F-150 is still the best-selling car in America.
