Australia’s first hybrid engine plant was opened on 6th December 2012 by Julia Gillard.
The Prime Minister said during the opening:
…This new modular facility with its state of the art technologies and highly skilled workforce is an example for the kind of innovation driving modern manufacturing in our nation.
Toyota will be producing both conventional petrol powered and hybrid engines; a capability which is new to Toyota and new to Australia.
The new locally made engines are significantly more fuel efficient and produce less carbon dioxide than their predecessors.
So it’s good news for the environment, good news for buyers who need to fill up the petrol tank; they will be saving money every time they go to the bowser.
And it’s a great example of the opportunities for manufacturing that come from Australia’s move towards a clean energy future…
The Toyota factory, based in Melbourne, will manufacture 108,000 engines, 15% of which will be petrol-electric hybrids. The four cylinder 2.5 litre engines hybrid engines will be placed into the Camry and Camry Hybrid sedans and then exported to Malaysia & Thailand.
The new plant cost around A$330 million, including contributions from the Victorian state government, and A$63 million from the Australian federal government’s Green Car Innovation Fund.
