Toyota puts Prius plant on hold
Toyota has frozen the opening of its new factory in Tupelo, Mississippi.
Though the building work on this all-new facility is said to be virtually complete, the onset of car production has been indefinitely shelved.
The $300 million Tupelo plant was to make the new-generation Prius hybrid for the North American market, supplementing Prius production in Japan.
Production equipment has not yet been installed and Toyota has not confirmed when production will begin. No employees already hired are to be laid off as yet.
Toyota has 7 other factories in North America and has cut down on output at these facilities as its sales have slowed. Its sales are 13.4% down this year, though this decline is less severe than the American average.
Launch of the Mk3 Prius is still scheduled for the Detroit Motor Show next month.