Toyota has again made changes to a new North American plant ahead of production start-up.
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However the change at a new factory in Woodstock, Ontario, Canada involves retaining a single shift building RAV4 SUVs indefinitely due to slow sales in North America. In contrast, Toyota is converting a plant being built in Mississippi from SUVs to hybrid cars.
Woodstock was designed to build 150,000 RAV4s a year on two shifts but will start at half that rate using 1,200 workers in November. The plant would employ 2,000 people to work two shifts. Local media reported Toyota had planned to start the second shift next spring.
Toyota last month lowered its 2010 forecast for North America, now excluding Mexico but still the world’s biggest market, to 2.7m vehicles from 3m. It has also suspended some local light truck and SUV production for three months.
US RAV4 sales were off 18.4% to 96,433 units for the first eight months of 2008. Total Toyota brand volume was off 7.9% to 1,371,221.
