The Investments Keep On Coming: Toyota Spending $200-million More

Toyota must believe that V6 engines have a bright future in the U.S. car market because (TEMA) announced last week that it is investing $150-million to increase machining capacity in its Alabama engine plant and $50-million in Bodine Aluminum—a wholly owned subsidiary—casting plants for additional engine part capacity.

The machining project in Alabama is slated to be completed by July 2015.

Toyota in Alabama: Plenty of engines.  And more to come.

And it is worth noting that the plant is still working through an expansion of its V6 assembly capability, an $80-million project that is expected to be finished early next year.

The Bodine investment is to get more engine heads and blocks cast.

While some OEMs are putting a greater emphasis on four-cylinder engines, evidentially the thinking at Toyota is that the V6 isn’t going the way of the V8 any time soon.

It is worth noting, however, that Toyota Alabama produces V8s, as well as V6s. And four-cylinder models, as well. In fact, it is the only Toyota plant on the planet that produces all three types of engines under one roof. Toyota assembles 12 models in North America. The Alabama plant supplies engines to eight of them.