In January 2013, TCI became a subsidiary of Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) with 51% ownership share and Mitsui & Co. Ltd. as minority 49% shareholder.[1] The current CEO and president of Toyota Canada is Larry Hutchinson, who replaced Seiji Ichii on January 1, 2016.[2]
In October 1990, TCI expanded its operations to begin selling luxury vehicles to Canadians through the Lexus brand. Twenty years later, in October 2010, TCI further expanded its sales operations to begin selling Scion branded vehicles in Canada.
In 2014, half (50%) of all Toyota vehicles sold in Canada were built at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada, Inc., (TMMC) while 83% of all Toyota vehicles sold in Canada were produced at one of Toyota's 14 plants throughout North America.
Manufacturing and engineering in Canada
Toyota operates two vehicle manufacturing facilities in Canada: one in Cambridge, Ontario and another in Woodstock, Ontario. The Cambridge Facility currently produces the Toyota RAV4 (since 2019) and Lexus RX 350 (since 2003) and RX 450h (since 2014) and formerly produced the Toyota Corolla (1988–2019), Solara (1998–2003), and Matrix (2002–2013). The Woodstock Facility currently only builds the RAV4, which has been in production since 2007.
Since opening in 1988, TMMC has built more than 6 million vehicles[3] for Canadian and U.S. consumers, with the vast majority (approximately 4.6 million) being exported to the United States. In September 2003, TMMC's Cambridge facility was expanded and became the first Toyota plant outside Japan to manufacture the Lexus RX. Production was further expanded in 2014 to also produce the Lexus RX 450h. It is expected to continue to be the only Lexus manufacturer outside Japan until Fall 2015 when Lexus ES 350 production is expected to commence at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky, Inc. (TMMK).[4] In 2014, TMMC remains the largest Toyota plant in North America by production volume (579,411 vehicles) with a 15% increase in production compared to 2013.
Toyota's Canadian operation has received various awards and recognitions. TMMC's plant has earned 14 J.D. Power & Associates Plant Quality awards, including six Gold awards and two coveted Platinum Plant Quality Award in 2011 and 2014 – the first Toyota plant outside Japan to ever win this award.[5][6]
Toyota also operates several parts manufacturing operations in Canada including Canadian Auto Parts Toyota, Inc. (CAPTIN), a wholly owned subsidiary of TMC which manufactures aluminum alloy wheels for the global market. Established in Delta, British Columbia in 1983, the 24,645 m². facility produced approximately 1.7 million aluminum alloy wheels and employed 310 people in 2013.[7] In August 2011, CAPTIN and the University of British Columbia announced a partnership to refine the manufacturing process for water-cooled die casting to produce stronger, lighter, and lower-cost aluminum wheels.[8]
Toyota Canada's Cold Weather Testing Centre was established in 1974 in Timmins, Ontario to test vehicles from across Toyota's global lineup to ensure optimal performance in cold weather conditions. With the addition of a cold chamber, Toyota test vehicles year-round in harsh sub-zero conditions to ensure that vehicles meet customer expectations.[9]
Environment
Since 2001, Toyota Canada Inc. has maintained ISO 14001 registration for an effective environmental management system (EMS).[10] TCI's head office was the first Toyota facility in North America to achieve this certification. TCI has established a Corporate Environmental Policy[11] which outlines its commitment towards continually reducing the daily impact of all its activities, services and operations. TCI also contributes to the publication of an annual North American Environmental Report[12] on progress, success, and future inspirations. A number of Toyota's Canadian dealerships have also achieved LEED Gold Standard, one of the strictest levels of LEED certification.
Through the Toyota Evergreen Learning Grounds, Toyota Canada and its dealerships have contributed over $3.2 million in grants to more than 5,500 schools and impacted more than 1.15 million students through projects that transform school grounds into green outdoor classrooms since 2000.[13]
Lexus is the luxury vehicle division of the Japanese automaker Toyota Motor Corporation. The Lexus brand is marketed in more than 90 countries and territories worldwide and is Japan's largest-selling make of premium cars. It has ranked among the 10 largest Japanese global brands in market value. Lexus is headquartered in Nagoya, Japan. Operational centers are located in Brussels, Belgium, and Plano, Texas, United States.
The Lexus GS is an executive car sold by Lexus, the premium division of Toyota. The same car had been launched in 1991 as the Toyota Aristo in Japan. For non-Japanese markets, it was released as the Lexus GS in February 1993. It continued using the Toyota Aristo name for the Japanese market until January 2005.
Hybrid Synergy Drive (HSD), also known as Toyota Hybrid System II, is the brand name of Toyota Motor Corporation for the hybrid car drive train technology used in vehicles with the Toyota and Lexus marques. First introduced on the Prius, the technology is an option on several other Toyota and Lexus vehicles and has been adapted for the electric drive system of the hydrogen-powered Mirai, and for a plug-in hybrid version of the Prius. Previously, Toyota also licensed its HSD technology to Nissan for use in its Nissan Altima Hybrid. Its parts supplier Aisin offers similar hybrid transmissions to other car companies.
Toyota Motor North America (TMNA) is the operating subsidiary that oversees all operations of the Toyota Motor Corporation in Canada, Mexico, and the United States. Its operations include research and development, manufacturing, sales, marketing, after sales and corporate functions, which are controlled by TMNA but sometimes executed by other subsidiaries and holding companies. The company is headquartered in Plano, Texas, with offices in several locations including Georgetown, Kentucky, Ann Arbor, Michigan, Washington, D.C., and New York City.
The Toyota RAV4 is a compact crossover SUV produced by the Japanese automobile manufacturer Toyota. It is known for starting the wave of compact crossovers.
Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada (TMMC) operates automobile manufacturing factories in Ontario, Canada. It is a subsidiary of Toyota Motor North America, itself a subsidiary of Toyota Motor Corporation of Japan. The plant assembles compact crossover SUVs: the Lexus NX, Lexus RX and the Toyota RAV4, the company's best selling vehicle in North America.
Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky (TMMK) is an automobile manufacturing factory in Georgetown, Kentucky, United States. It is a subsidiary of Toyota Motor North America, itself a subsidiary of Toyota Motor Corporation of Japan. The plant assembles the Toyota Camry, Toyota RAV4, and Lexus ES along with producing engines.
The Tahara plant is an automobile plant in Tahara, Aichi, Japan owned by Toyota Motor Corporation. The address is 3–1 Midorigahama, Tahara City, Aichi Prefecture.
The AR engine family is an Inline-4 piston engine series by Toyota, first introduced in 2008 for the RAV4, and subsequently for the Highlander, Venza, Camry and Scion tC.
Electronically controlled brake (ECB) developed by Toyota Motor Corporation initially for its hybrid and Lexus models, is the world's first production brake-by-wire braking system. The ECB went on sale in Japan in June 2001, first appearing on the Toyota Estima hybrid, and making its North American debut with the launch of the Lexus RX 400h SUV in April 2005. The ECB is an integral part of the company's Vehicle Dynamics Integrated Management stability control system, by allowing for automatic brake adjustments, which work in conjunction with variable gear-ratio electric power steering systems.
Vehicle Dynamics Integrated Management (VDIM) is an integrated vehicle handling and software control system developed by Toyota. It involves an omnibus computer linkage of traction control, electronic stability control, electronic steering, and other systems, with the intent of improving responsiveness to driver input, performance, and overall safety. The system was first introduced in the Japanese domestic market in July 2004, when Toyota debuted VDIM on the Toyota Crown Majesta. This was followed by the VDIM's export debut on the third generation Lexus GS, which was launched in 2005. VDIM integrates the company's Electronically Controlled Brake (ECB), Anti-Lock Brakes (ABS), Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD), Traction Control (TRC) and Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) active safety systems with the Adaptive Variable Suspension (AVS), Electric Power Steering (EPS) and Variable Gear Ratio Steering (VGRS) systems which previously worked independently using proprietary software. This way all the systems function together rather than the ECU prioritizing which is the most important. VDIM was initially designed for rear-wheel drive cars.
The Lexus CT is a hybrid electric automobile sold by Lexus, a luxury division of Toyota, as a premium compact hatchback. The CT, consisting of a single model called the CT 200h, is a luxury hybrid based on the Toyota Prius drivetrain and Toyota MC platform chassis, and is the first luxury compact and hatchback hybrid. It is the first production model in Lexus's family to introduce the "Spindle Grille" design as seen in its fascia. It made its debut at the March 2010 Geneva International Motor Show, six months after the unveiling of the LF-Ch concept car; it is primarily targeted at the European market but is being sold worldwide and was introduced to North American markets at the April 2010 New York International Auto Show. Lexus has trademarked the names CT 200h, CT 300h, and CT 400h. The design by Takeshi Tanabe was approved in 2008 and patented on 11 September 2009.
The Lexus RX is a luxury crossover SUV sold since 1998 by Lexus, a luxury division of Toyota. Originally released in its home market of Japan in late 1997 as the Toyota Harrier, export sales began in March 1998 as the Lexus RX.
The Toyota Harrier is a five-passenger compact, later mid-size crossover SUV produced by Toyota since December 1997 in Japan, which was once exclusive to Toyopet Store Japanese dealerships. In export markets, the Harrier was rebadged as the Lexus RX from March 1998 to December 2008. At this stage, Toyota had yet to retail the Lexus brand to its Japanese customers.
The Lexus NX is a compact luxury crossover SUV sold by Lexus, a luxury division of Toyota. Introduced in late 2014, it is positioned between the subcompact UX and the mid-size RX in Lexus’ crossover SUV lineup.
E-Four, eFour, AWD-i, or AWD-e was developed by Toyota. Front wheels are powered directly by the hybrid powertrain, rear wheels are powered by a dedicated electric motor with its own power control unit, reduction gear and differential. Amount of torque transferred to the rear wheels is automatically adjusted by the vehicle's electronic control unit according to driving conditions. E-Four also adds additional regenerative braking. In North America, Toyota uses the term AWD-i. There is no drive shaft between the front combustion engine and rear wheels. The rear wheels only receive power and torque from the rear electric motor(s).
Real (Ray) C. Tanguay is the former chair and president of Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada Inc. (TMMC). Tanguay retired from Toyota in March 2015 and currently serves as Auto Advisor to the federal and Ontario governments and the Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors for the Trillium Network for Advanced Manufacturing. He currently lives in Kitchener, Ontario. He was named to the Order of Canada in 2017.
The Dynamic Force engines are a family of internal combustion engines developed by Toyota under the brand's Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA) strategy. The engines can be fueled by petrol (gasoline) or ethanol and can be combined with electric motors in a hybrid drivetrain. The engines were developed alongside the TNGA family of vehicle platforms, as part of a company-wide effort to simplify the vehicles being produced by Toyota.
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