Mazda Motor Corp. and Toyota Motor Corp. have added $830 million to their investment in the Mazda Toyota Manufacturing joint venture, about half of the initial capital investment, to incorporate additional manufacturing technologies and to enhance training for the 4,000-person workforce expected there. The total investment in the Huntsville, Ala., plant is projected now at $2.311 billion.
The recent Mazda Toyota Manufacturing announcement explained that the additional capital investment will accommodate production line changes made to improve manufacturing processes, in support of the Mazda vehicle to be assembled there as well as to accommodate design changes for the as-yet-unannounced Toyota SUV.
When announced in 2018, Mazda Toyota Manufacturing was to be a $1.6-billion investment. The joint-venture operation has not changed its objective to build 300,000 SUVs annually.
Mazda will have up to 150,000 units/year of a future vehicle produced there, and Toyota will have up to 150,000 units/year of the crossover SUV it plans to produce.
Construction — namely, roofs, siding, floor slabs, ductwork, fire protection, and electrical work — are reported to be proceeding toward 100% completion.
In 2019, Mazda Toyota Manufacturing reported that its two assembly lines would be called "Apollo" and "Discovery," in tribute to two National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) programs, which historically has been an important part of the Huntsville area.
Start-up of the new plant continues to be targeted for 2021.
