Toyota’s sales in China are recovering but the company is still trying to deal with excess manufacturing capacity, according to two senior company executives who spoke to the Reuters news agency.

They also said the automaker would not need a new assembly plant before 2018.

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.

Find out more

However, executives in charge of the company’s China operations were more optimistic, expecting sales in the country to double. They are also planning production capacity expansion or constructing a new assembly plant in China.

“But the truth of the matter is that we’re still trying to fill out a couple of plants, which have some excess capacity, and we need to push into areas of China’s big market where we’re not traditionally well represented with those new, more affordable compact cars. That’s our immediate focus. We’re talking about expanding our sales in China but don’t think we need a new assembly plant until after 2018,” said a senior Toyota executive.

According to one of the executives, Toyota will achieve the goal of selling 2m vehicles in the county by 2025.

Just Auto Excellence Awards - Nominations Closed

Nominations are now closed for the Just Auto Technology Excellence Awards. A big thanks to all the organisations that entered – your response has been outstanding, showcasing exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact.

Excellence in Action
Continental has secured the Window Displays Innovation Award in the 2025 Just Auto Excellence Awards for its Window Projection solution, transforming side windows into dynamic, data-rich canvases. Discover how this compact projection technology and intelligent software are reshaping in-car UX and opening fresh revenue streams for OEMs and mobility providers.

Discover the Impact