Toyota Motor Kyushu
Toyota Motor Corporation | |
Website | www.toyota-kyushu.com |
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Footnotes / references Fiscal Year 2022 (FY2022) is from 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023. References:[1][2][3] |
Toyota Motor Kyushu (TMK) is a manufacturing subsidiary of Toyota established in 1991 and focused on the production of Lexus cars, engines, and hybrid systems. Its headquarters and single assembly plant are in the city of Miyawaka in Japan's Fukuoka Prefecture. Car production started in December 1992.
History
Early years
In the late 1980s, at the peak of the
In July 1990, Toyota signed a land agreement with
The company's first assembly was the production volume of the seventh-generation Mark II[5][11] which formerly belonged to the Motomachi plant, sharing its production with Kanto Auto Works. In 1994, it also added the fifth-generation Chaser from Kanto Auto Works, which replaced it with a Crown taxi. In 1996, Toyota Motor Kyushu entered into production the eight-generation Mark II.[5]
When the Miyata plant started operations, the bubble had ended and the Japanese economy entered into a recession, which lowered the sales of the company's products. There also was a shift in demand, especially in overseas markets, which increasingly preferred
Toyota Motor Kyushu increased its importance within Toyota in the next few years, joining the Toyota Production System development group and, in 1998, designing a special version of the Harrier in partnership with Zagato.[12]
In 2000, Toyota Motor Kyushu started producing the first-generation SUV-like front wheel/
Lexus focus
From 2005 onwards, the company would become an export-oriented producer of Lexus vehicles. In 2005, it opened a second assembly line for the Miyata plant focused exclusively on Lexus-badged vehicles, doubling the production capacity. In that year, it also introduced a Lexus vehicle for the new line (the second-generation
In 2008, Toyota Motor Kyushu started a second assembly line for the Kanda plant and opened its own hybrid systems plant, the Kokura plant.[13] By the end of the year, it rolled off the third-generation Lexus RX. In 2009, it introduced the hybrid-only Lexus HS (HS250h)[15] and its sister car,[16] the Japan-only Sai.[17] In 2010, the company transferred production of the non-hybrid Highlanders to Toyota Motor Manufacturing Indiana.[18] In early 2011, Toyota Motor Kyushu entered into production the first-generation hybrid Lexus CT (CT200h).[19] At the end of 2012, it stopped assembling the IS and the model production was moved to the Tahara plant. The convertible variant continued for some time at Kyushu for overseas markets.[20]
In February 2012, Toyota said it would move all the remaining Highlander assembly from Toyota Motor Kyushu to Toyota Motor Manufacturing Indiana by 2013 to make it more competitive.[21] In that year, Toyota Motor Kyushu launched the sixth-generation Lexus ES[22] and discontinued HS production for the United States due to low sales.[15] In 2014, the Lexus NX was put into production by the company.[11] In 2015, it launched the fourth-generation Lexus RX. In 2018, the seventh-generation Lexus ES[23] and the UX.[24] That same year, it ended production of the HS.[25]
Moving away from fossil fuels
In late 2019, Toyota Motor Kyushu rolled off the first Lexus-badged
In March 2022, Toyota said the Lexus CT production would be ended by October 2022.[29]
In April 2023, Toyota Motor Kyushu and
Facilities
The Toyota Motor Kyushu's single vehicle assembly plant (Miyata plant) and headquarters are in Miyawaka, Fukuoka. The company has two more plants: the Kanda plant and the Kokura plant. The first is in Kanda, Fukuoka and produces engines. The second is in Kitakyushu (also Fukuoka) and produces hybrid systems. Average unit production capacity for each plant is 430,000, 440,000, and 470,000 respectively.[3]
The Miyata plant is on a site two kilometres long and 850 metres wide and has two assembly lines (No.1 and No.2 plants), with body weld, paint, and assembly units. Both lines are supplied by common stamping, plastics, suspension, and fuel-tank sections within the plant. Miyata also has a hybrid component sub-assembly facility. The No.1 assembly line is slightly larger than the No.2 and they can produce about 1,000 and 850 cars per day respectively. Most of the production time (11 of 19 hours) is in the paint shop, as Lexus' cars have a very intensive coating process that includes water polishing. About 30% of the finished cars are rejected to comply with Lexus' quality standard.[31]
The Kanda plant has two assembly lines and its building area is 108,000 square metres (m2) (powertrain line 77,000 m2, casting line 25,000 m2, and smelting line 6,000 m2). The Kokura plant has 32,000 m2.[32]
From 2016 onwards, the company has a research development facility (Technical Centre) separated from the rest of the Miyata plant operations.[33]
Products
As of 2023[update], the company produces the following Lexus vehicles at its Miyata plant:[34][35]
Assembly line No. 1: Lexus NX and Lexus UX
Assembly line No. 2: Lexus ES and Lexus RX
As of 2008, 90% of the company's production was exported overseas, mostly to the United States (65%).[31]
Notes
- ^ Both later merged to form Miyawaka.
References
Citations
- ^ "トヨタ自動車九州株式会社 第33期決算公告" [Toyota motor Kyushu, Inc. Announcement of financial results for the 33th fiscal year] (in Japanese). Toyota Motor Kyushu. Retrieved 20 July 2023 – via Company Activities Total Research Institute.
- ^ "トヨタ九州の売上高4.1%減 23年3月期、半導体不足続く" [Toyota Kyushu's sales down 4.1%. The semiconductor shortage continued in the fiscal year ended March 2023]. Nikkei (in Japanese). 12 May 2023. Retrieved 20 July 2023.
- ^ a b "Company outline". Toyota Motor Kyushu. Retrieved 20 July 2023.
- ^ a b Tanikawa, Kiyoshi (6 November 2014). "レクサスの生まれ故郷、トヨタ自動車九州 宮田工場に行ってみた" [I visited Toyota Motor Kyushu's Miyata plant, the birthplace of Lexus]. Car Watch (in Japanese). Retrieved 10 April 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Mishima 2016, pp. 49–71.
- ^ Shimizu 2007, p. 384.
- ^ a b Sako 2006, p. 119.
- ^ Benders & Morita 2004, pp. 438–440.
- ^ Sakikawa 2012.
- ^ Shimizu 2004, p. 18.
- ^ a b Tanaka 2015, p. 80.
- ^ a b c Mishima 2016, pp. 71–79.
- ^ a b Mishima 2016, pp. 79–87.
- ^ Tanaka 2015, p. 90.
- ^ a b Brooks, Glenn (18 May 2012). "US:Lexus HS 250h hybrid axed due to poor sales". Just-auto.com. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
- ^ "2010 Toyota Sai Hybrid Revealed". motor1.com. 20 October 2009. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
- ^ "Toyota's SAI Hybrid Orders Higher than Expected in Japan". Green Fleet Magazine. 24 November 2009. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
- ^ "Toyota to concentrate Highlander production in Indiana". Cincinnati Business Courier. 2 June 2010. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
- ^ Evans, Scott (13 September 2010). "2011 Lexus CT 200h". MotorTrend. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
- ^ Tanaka 2015, p. 86.
- ^ "Toyota shifts Highlander output to U.S." Japan Times. 10 February 2012. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
- ^ "History (2010-)". Toyota Motor Kyushu. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
- ^ "History (2015-)". Toyota Motor Kyushu. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
- ^ Loh, Edward (9 March 2018). "Chatting With 2019 Lexus UX Chief Engineer Chika Kako". MotorTrend. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
- ^ "HS (Lexus)". Goo-net.com (in Japanese). Retrieved 11 April 2021.
- ^ Yasunori, Avanti (27 December 2019). "レクサス初となるEV 「UX300e」の生産準備がトヨタ自動車九州で着々と進行中" [Preparations for the production of Lexus' first EV, the UX300e, are steadily progressing at Toyota Motor Kyushu]. Clicccar.com (in Japanese). Retrieved 10 April 2021.
- ^ "トヨタ九州、新型レクサスの生産開始 部品不足で遅れ" [Toyota Kyushu starts production of new Lexus delayed due to lack of parts]. Nikkei (in Japanese). 24 November 2021. Retrieved 24 December 2021.
- ^ Yokota, Satomi; Okabe, Yukari (14 February 2023). "レクサスEV専用の製造ライン、トヨタ九州が検討 35年にすべてEV化" [Toyota Kyushu ponders an assembly line dedicated to Lexus EVs as it is set for all-EV in 2035]. Nishinippon Shimbun (in Japanese). Retrieved 1 May 2023.
- ^ "トヨタがレクサス「CT」の生産を終了する背景事情" [A background for Toyota ending production of the Lexus CT]. Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun (in Japanese). 4 March 2022. Retrieved 22 July 2023 – via Newswitch.
- ^ "トヨタが藻場「海の森」整備へ 九州大と連携でCO2削減" [Toyota to develop seaweed beds ("sea forests") in cooperation with Kyushu University in order to reduce carbon emissions]. Chunichi Shimbun (in Japanese). 20 April 2023. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
- ^ a b "Law and order at Lexus". Automotivemanufacturingsolutions.com. 1 January 2008. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
- ^ Tanaka 2015, p. 80–81.
- ^ "Technical Center". Toyota Motor Kyushu. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
- ^ "Product models". Toyota Motor Kyushu. Retrieved 22 July 2023.
- ^ "December Production Plan" (Press release). Toyota. 22 November 2022. Retrieved 22 July 2023.
Bibliography
- Benders, Jos; Morita, Masaya (2004). "Changes in Toyota Motors' operations management". International Journal of Production Research. 42 (3). Taylor & Francis: 433–444. S2CID 109549284.
- Mishima, Kohei (2016). "専属的な受託生産企業の発生と存続のメカニズム ―自動車産業におけるトヨタとトヨタ九州の委託生産関係―" [The mechanism of exclusive contractor firms' formation and existence: a contract manufacturing relationship between Toyota and Toyota Kyushu in the automotive industry]. Akamon Management Review (in Japanese). 15 (2). Global Business Research Center. ISSN 1347-4448.
- Sakikawa, Takashi (2012). "The Japanese automotive industry:Toyota Motor Corp". Transforming Japanese Workplaces. Springer. ISBN 978-0-230-29991-7.
- Sako, Mari (2006). "Strategy and structure at Toyota Group". Shifting Boundaries of the Firm: Japanese Company - Japanese Labour. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-926816-0.
- Shimizu, Koichi (2004). "Reorienting Kaizen activities at Toyota: Kaizen, production efficiency, and humanization of work". Okayama Economic Review. 36 (3). The Economic Association of Okayama University. ISSN 0386-3069.
- Shimizu, Koichi (2007). "Humanization of the production system and work at Toyota Motor Co and Toyota Motor Kyushu". In Sandberg, Åke (ed.). Enriching Production: Perspectives on Volvo's Uddevalla plant as an alternative to lean production. Avebury. ISBN 978-1-85972-106-3.
- Tanaka, Takenori (2015). "トヨタ自動車九州に見るモノづくり進化論" [Evolution of the manufacturing theory seen at Toyota Motor Kyushu] (PDF). The Meijo Review (in Japanese). 15. Society of Economics and Business Management, Meijo University. (PDF) from the original on 9 April 2021.