Auto Parts Asia — August 2017

AutoPartsAsia | AUGUST 2017 | 63

V

olvo Cars has announced
that every Volvo it launches
from 2019 will have an
electric motor, marking the
historic end of cars that only have an
internal combustion engine (ICE) and
placing electrification at the core of its
future business.

The announcement represents one of
the most significant strategies by any
car maker to embrace electrification
and highlights how over a century
after the invention of the internal
combustion engine electrification is
paving the way for a new chapter in

automotive history.

“This is about the customer,” Håkan

Samuelsson, President and Chief

Executive, said. “People increasingly

demand electrified cars and we want

to respond to our customers’ current

and future needs. You can now pick

and choose whichever electrified

Volvo you wish.”

Volvo Cars will introduce a portfolio

of electrified cars across its model

range, embracing fully electric cars,

plug-in hybrid cars and mild hybrid

cars. It will launch five fully electric

cars between 2019 and 2021, three

of which will be Volvo models and

two of which will be high performance

electrified cars from Polestar, Volvo

Cars’ performance car arm. Full

details of these models will be

announced at a later date.

The announcement underlines Volvo

Cars’ commitment to minimizing its

environmental impact and making

the cities of the future cleaner. Volvo

Cars is focused on reducing the

carbon emissions of both its products

as well as its operations. It aims to

have climate neutral manufacturing

operations by 2025.

T

oyota Motor North America,
Inc. (TMNA) has opened
its new North American
headquarters in Plano,
Texas. The new campus supports the
company’s ‘One Toyota’ vision with
spaces that intentionally create and
foster a transparent environment,
encourage the fun of discovery, and
make Toyota a place where people
want to come to collaborate and
innovate.

“The opening of our new
headquarters in Plano is an
extraordinary next step in Toyota’s
60-year journey in the US,” Jim Lentz,
CEO of Toyota in North America,
said. “With team members from four
different companies together in one
campus location, we believe this
will inspire greater collaboration,

innovation, and faster decision-

making as we turn to and lead the

future of mobility, all with an eye on

our customers.”

Lentz added, “We appreciate the

support from President Trump of our

continued commitment to investing

in the US and sustaining American

jobs.” Congratulating Toyota on

its grand opening, the company

received a written statement from

the White House, signed by the

President.

Three years ago, Toyota announced

its “One Toyota” initiative to create

more unified operations in North

America, in part, by bringing together

its quality engineering, sales,

marketing, financial services, and

corporate functions in one location.

Since then, the company has

invested about $1 billion on the

project to build its new corporate

campus on 100 acres in Plano and

move thousands of team members

and their families from California,

Kentucky and beyond to North Texas.

Toyota’s U.S. commitment includes:

$23.4 billion in direct investment, 10

manufacturing assembly facilities

around the country, nearly 1,500

Toyota and Lexus dealerships,

and,136,000 direct and dealer

employees.

In addition, earlier this year, Toyota

said it will spend $10 billion in US

capital investments over the next five

years, an outlay that includes the

construction of its Plano headquarters

and improvements to its existing

manufacturing facilities.

Toyota Opens New N. American HQ In Texas

APA Bureau

APA Bureau

Volvo Cars Announces Electric Strategy

Toyota New Texas HQ - Front view Interior