Toyota To Cut Output 20% At French Plant From January
25 November 2008
Nikkei. Toyota Motor Corp. will cut production at its French factory by 20% from January through March, following similar moves in the US, Britain and Turkey.
The facility, which assembles the Yaris subcompact and currently produces 65,000 vehicles a month, will reduce output to about 50,000 units per month.
Toyota’s sales in Europe fell 23.6% on the year in October, a sharper decline than the 14.5% slide for the European market as a whole. The automaker’s cumulative European sales for the first 10 months of the year are down 13.8% from the same period a year earlier.
With a plan to release some 18 new models into the market next year, including those going through a full remodeling, Toyota had been considering scaling back production of existing models.
Since most of the new models will be more frugal, cutting back on current models production is a good decision.
Toyota's European prices are too high and that has a lot to do with above average sales reduction.
In Canada, where people are used to pay higher prices for better vehicles, Toyota's sales are holding surprisingly well.
Posted by: HarveyD | 25 November 2008 at 12:20 PM
Harvey,
The Times Colonist (a VanWest Corporation sheet) declared British Columbia recession proof. Alberta's oil boom shows no sign of slowing and in spite of a 20% drop in Canadian dollar - the Provinces back East shrug off the gloom. It's a good country.
Posted by: sulleny | 26 November 2008 at 12:09 PM
OOOPS!!!
Error - I meant to say the Times Colonist is a CANWest Publication. NOT to be confused with the CanWest Petroleum business and Kuwait Corporation providing worldwide oil and gas services!
Posted by: sulleny | 26 November 2008 at 12:14 PM