Back-to-business! Toyota builds its 4.5millionth car in Britain upon return from coronavirus closure at its Burnaston plant
- Burnaston factory hit the 4.5m production mark with a Corolla hatchback
- The model was a left-hand drive car destined for Poland like 90% of its output
- Toyota restarted production on 26 May after two months of Covid-19 closure
- Japanese brand has been building vehicles at the Derbyshire plant since 1992
- Here’s how to help people impacted by Covid-19
Toyota UK’s Burnaston car plant in Derbyshire has produced its 4.5millionth vehicle, after restarting its assembly lines a fortnight ago.
The landmark figure was achieved with the completion of a 1.8-litre hybrid Corolla hatchback, reaffirming that the car maker is very much ‘back-to-business’ following the Covid-19 crisis.
The factory produces a car every 89 seconds when operating at full power with all 3,100 workers, manufacturing around 3,000 vehicles a week and on average 150,000 a year.
Landmark motor: Toyota has confirmed today that it has produced its 4.5millionth UK motor
Production resumed at the facility on 26 May, following two months of being temporarily closed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Of all the cars it makes, almost 90 per cent are exported to overseas markets.
Watershed model number 4,500,0000 is one of these examples – a left-hand drive Corolla on its way to a customer in Poland.
With the Government yet to agree and trade agreement with the EU for Brexit, as it currently stands these models will be subject to 10 per cent tariffs – as will models coming into Britain from Europe.
Like all manufacturers across all sectors, the car brand has revise facilities and processes to ensure the health and safety of all staff members and visitors to the site.
Toyota has been producing cars at the Burnaston plant since 1992, when it became the manufacturer’s first European factory
Transport secretary Grant Shapps visiting the Burnaston plant in January 2019 to mark the start of production of the latest Corolla model
Jim Crosbie, Toyota Motor Manufacturing UK’s managing director, said: ‘Seeing our 4.5millionth car come off the line gives everyone at TMUK a sense of pride in what we have achieved in almost 30 years of high-quality manufacturing.
‘It also symbolises the great commitment and team spirit of all our members to overcome the challenges we have faced and secure our future as a competitive and highly efficient business.’
Toyota has been building cars in Britain since 1992 when the Burnaston factory came on stream as Toyota’s first manufacturing centre in Europe.
The factory produces a car every 89 seconds when operating at full power with all 3,100 workers, manufacturing around 3,000 vehicles a week and on average 150,000 a year
Since that time, £2.75billion has been invested in the plant, most recently upgrading equipment, skills and supply chains for the latest vehicle and engine production.
The Derbyshire plant is currently the European production centre for the Corolla Hatchback and Touring Sports models.
Its sister plant in Deeside, North Wales, manufactures engines for Toyota’s 1.8-litre hybrid power system.
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