(Bloomberg) -- Toyota Motor Corp. started production at a new $2.3 billion factory in Huntsville, Alabama, expanding its North American manufacturing footprint with a plant it broke ground on in 2018.
The Japanese carmaker, which shares the facility with affiliate Mazda Motor Corp., expects to ramp up to full production next year, it said Thursday. The plant has the capacity to produce 300,000 vehicles a year, evenly split between the two automakers.
Toyota is building the Corolla Cross, a new crossover version of its most popular compact sedan, at the factory. Mazda hasn't announced which vehicle it will produce at the site.
Initially, Toyota planned to make standard Corolla sedans there, but changed tack as consumers have continued to flock to light trucks and sport utility vehicles. The factory currently employs more than 2,000 workers -- a number expected to double in 2022.
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