Yesterday, Toyota announced that it will gradually transfer production of the Tacoma pickup truck from its Tijuana, Baja California plant to San Antonio, Texas. This move is part of a restructuring of its North American manufacturing operations, which, while reducing production of the model in Mexico toward the end of the decade, does not imply a complete withdrawal of its operations from the country.

The news gained traction after the automaker announced a $3.6 billion investment to expand its manufacturing complex in San Antonio , where it will build a second assembly line to produce the Tacoma along with the Tundra and Sequoia models.

The project will add 2,000 new jobs, double the size of the Texas plant by 2030, and allow the transition of production from Baja California to take place gradually over approximately four years.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Economy (SE) reported that Toyota notified the Mexican government that the relocation of Tacoma production from Tijuana will not be immediate, but will conclude in 2030, while the company continues to evaluate the future of that facility once the process is completed.

As part of the talks between the company and the federal government, the agency highlighted that Toyota confirmed the continued operation of its plant in Apaseo el Grande, Guanajuato , which generates 2,800 direct jobs and thousands more indirectly in the region.

The announcement seeks to send a signal of continuity for Toyota’s operations in Mexico, at a time when the North American automotive industry is adjusting its production capacity to respond to demand, strengthen regional integration, and adapt to a trade environment marked by the review of the USMCA and new industrial policies in the United States.

In its statement, Toyota emphasized that the Texas expansion reflects its confidence in the growth of the North American market and will allow for increased manufacturing flexibility through new technologies.

The company also reiterated its commitment to its operations in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, while calling for a swift resolution of issues related to the USMCA in order to strengthen the region’s competitiveness.

The investment will raise to $8.3 billion the amount allocated by Toyota to its San Antonio complex since it began operations in 2003.

Toyota’s footprint in Mexico

Toyota maintains two manufacturing complexes in Mexico. The Tijuana, Baja California plant began operations in 2004 and currently produces the Tacoma pickup for various North American markets.

Meanwhile, the Apaseo el Grande plant in Guanajuato, inaugurated in 2019, also assembles the Tacoma and Tacoma hybrid electric, representing one of the company’s most important investments in the country during the last decade.

Together, both facilities are part of Toyota’s regional production strategy and primarily supply the North American market, solidifying Mexico as a key link in the Japanese automaker’s supply chain.

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Toyota presented the new 2024 Tacoma that incorporates hybrid electric (HEV) technology, with which it reaches 55% of its catalog in Mexico with a version in this technology and which, in addition, will be produced in the country.

Marisol Blanco, Director of Public Relations at Toyota Motors Mexico, pointed out that on the Japanese automaker’s path to being a sustainable mobility company, it has been important to put consumers at the center and listen to their needs.

“Electrification is not just a trend, it is a necessity to achieve carbon neutrality. It has to do with an objective and that is to reduce emissions, and moving towards an electrified Mexico requires collaborative work,” he mentioned.

For his part, Guillermo Díaz, president of Toyota Motor Sales México and Lexus de México , stressed that for the company the best mobility option for Mexico is the HEV in this energy transition, so they continue on their path to have an option with this technology in each model, placing the tenth hybrid model in the country .

This path in the country began in 2010 with the arrival of Prius. Today they have 10 of the 18 models in the catalog in Mexico.

“The Tacoma HEV becomes the tenth member of the hybrid electric family. For us, the most enriching thing is to offer more environmentally friendly mobility alternatives,” highlighted Gerardo Romero, Vice President of Operations.

It should be remembered that the Tacoma is produced in the Baja California and Guanajuato plants , however, in 2023 Toyota announced an investment of $328 million in the Guanajuato plant for the production of the new generation of the Tacoma HEV .

In this sense, it will be in that location where the HEV version will be produced, in addition to a third of Tacoma production will be hybrid electric to satisfy the North American market.

“The fact that the Tacoma is produced in Mexico is to satisfy the demand of the North American region; it is the best-selling pickup truck in the United States, which is why more than 90% of the Tacoma production goes to the United States and Canada,” said Marisol Blanco. .

Toyota expects to market 1,500 units of the Tacoma HEV in the Mexican market in the first 12 months.

The new Tacoma HEV incorporates a 2.4-liter four-cylinder turbocharged engine, with a power of 228 hp and 243 lb-ft and an eight-speed automatic transmission.

CAMRY 2025

Toyota also presented the new generation of Camry 2025 , which comes 100% HEV, so the Japanese company will seek to place at least 3,500 units in the Mexican market for the first year .

In this sense, Gerardo Romero assured that they are looking to have enough product for customer demand, so they will seek to have this amount in Mexico.

“We are looking to have enough product for our customers, we bring more and more product seeking to fill the demand we have,” he said.

Guillermo Díaz highlighted that the brand reached 1.5 million vehicles sold in Mexico this semester, of which 142 thousand have been HEVs, which has allowed it to reduce more than 1.1 million tons of CO2 in the country, so Toyota will continue their path to cleaner mobility.

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