TORONTO, Ont. - Toyota Motor Corp. is hinting it's interested in expanding production at its North American plants.
The president of Toyota's North American division says the company is looking at producing its Prius hybrid models in North America and boosting production of the Lexus in Canada.
Yoshimi Inaba is the second Toyota executive to muse recently about the possibility of expanding North American production.
Toyota's executive vice-president Atsushi Niimi said last year that he believes North American plants could build more hybrids.
Toyota has plants in Cambridge, Ont., and Woodstock, Ont.
Inaba said he's open to assembling Prius models in Canada, but industry experts say it's more likely that Toyota would pick a U.S. plant.
Inaba says Toyota is considering moving all assembly work for its RX350 crossover utility vehicle to Cambridge, which also produces the Lexus.
Toyota is finding North America a more attractive option because of the soaring yen, which is cutting into sales from plants in Japan.
Inaba made the comments at the Canadian International Auto Show in Toronto.
(Globe and Mail)
