Toyota announced on 5 March 2024 an investment plan of BRL 11 billion in Brazil through 2030: BRL 5 billion through 2026 and BRL 6 billion through 2030, with the latter allocation still undecided. A new hybrid flex-fuel vehicle was planned for 2025; another locally designed vehicle had no confirmed date.
- Porto Feliz: hybrid engines planned for 2025; Sorocaba: battery production for 2026.
- Indaiatuba operations would move to Sorocaba during 2025–2026.
Sorocaba’s earlier opening
In its release dated 9 August 2012, Toyota described the opening ceremony for the Sorocaba vehicle plant in São Paulo state. Etios production was scheduled to begin that September, with initial design capacity of 70,000 vehicles annually. The project represented approximately USD 600 million of investment and about 1,500 jobs. The site occupied roughly 3.7 million square metres. Toyota do Brasil had been established in 1958 and had started producing the Corolla in 1998. The release situated the new Etios plant within that existing Brazilian manufacturing history.
The Porto Feliz engine facility
Toyota’s release of 11 May 2016 recorded the engine plant opening in Porto Feliz on 10 May. Investment was JPY 18 billion, equivalent in that announcement to USD 170 million or BRL 580 million, with approximately 320 direct jobs. The site covered 872,500 square metres and had capacity for 108,000 engines annually. Its 1.3-litre and 1.5-litre four-cylinder NR engines were flex-fuel units for the Brazilian-built Etios. Casting, machining and assembly were located together at one site. This was the earlier engine-production facility identified in the subsequent investment programme.
A previous Sorocaba investment announcement
On 19 September 2019, Toyota announced its intention to invest BRL 1 billion at Sorocaba for a new model planned for commercialisation in 2021. The plant was already producing the Etios and Yaris. Toyota said the original design had allowed for expansion and cited supplier logistics as reasons for selecting the site. It planned approximately 300 new hires for the project. Details of the model, engine and precise release date were to follow in a later announcement. This earlier programme had its own investment amount, intended product and schedule within the development of the Sorocaba operation.
Company contacts
Toyota Motor Corporation. Head office: 1 Toyota-Cho, Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture 471-8571, Japan. Phone: (0565) 28-2121. Corporate contact details: Toyota company profile. Website: global.toyota.
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