Despite Comments to Contrary, Toyota Says Prius Still On

Toyota says it remains committed to building the Prius in Mississippi.

Officials at Toyota’s Mississippi office are backtracking from an article that suggests the company might not build the Prius in the state after all. MPB’s Cari Gervin has more.

The story in Automotive News quoted Toyota senior vice-president Steve St. Angelo questioning whether the Blue Springs plant would build the Prius hybrid vehicle. Prius sales have declined dramatically in the US as gas prices have fallen from their highs of last summer.

But spokesperson Lacy Luckett says the car will be built in Mississippi.

“TMC has not changed their position with respect to what we’re going to build here at the Mississippi plant, and we continue to work toward building the Prius here.”

The article also said that Toyota’s Mississippi employees had been reassigned to the company’s North American headquarters in Kentucky. But Barbara McDaniel, another Toyota spokesperson, said no one is going anywhere and St. Angelo was misquoted.

“Steve was very confused when we talked to him. He said, 'I didn’t say that, because it’s not, it’s not the case.'”

Randy Kelly is the head of the Three Rivers Planning and Development District, which helped bring Toyota to Mississippi. He says he is convinced the plant will be back on track once the economy picks up, whether or not it is making the Prius.

“Toyota has stood by every commitment they’ve made to us, and I have no reason to think anything otherwise. They have not even stumped a toe related to their commitment of $50 million on schools, which starts in January 2010.”

Toyota broke ground on the Blue Spring plant in 2007 but suspended construction last December.For MPB News, I’m Cari Gervin.