Toyota is making a significant investment in its US facilities in preparation for new engine production with the wording suggesting that it could build a new four-cylinder unit.
$383 million dollars will be invested in US production facilities to produce four-cylinder engines, which will be used in traditional ICE models as well as hybrids. The money will be split between four of the brand’s production facilities, and each will fulfill a specific task.
Huntsville Alabama will receive the largest portion of the investment, $222 million, to create a new four-cylinder production line for both combustion and hybrid engine options. The facility currently has the capacity to build 900,000 engines annually, and the investment will include a 114,000 square foot expansion.
$109 million will be invested in the Troy, Missouri plant to provide new equipment to build cylinder heads, while the Jackson, Tennessee plant will receive $36 million to build new four-cylinder engine blocks.
Read More: Toyota Will Spend $461 Million To Upgrade Its Kentucky Plant
Finally, $16 million will go toward Toyota’s largest plant in Georgetown, Kentucky to further expand engine production. The facility received a $461 million investment in October 2021 and currently produces about 600,000 powertrains annually for both Toyota and Lexus models.
Toyota currently has a few four-cylinder engines in its stable, in 1.8, 2.0, and 2.5-liter displacement, not including the Subaru-built boxer four found in the GR86. The investment suggests that the Japanese brand is working on a new engine, but Toyota declined to offer any additional information.
Toyota has a few engines in experimental stages, such as the hydrogen-powered V8 motor that it developed with Lexus, but obviously, that isn’t a four-cylinder. However, it does raise the question if we could also see a unit running on alternative fuel. The brand has been testing a hydrogen-combustion three-cylinder engine in its Corolla race car, as well as a de-stroked version of the GR Yaris three-cylinder that runs on synthetic fuel. It’s not beyond the realms of possibility for Toyota to take those designs and optimize them for the street, but we’ll learn more about the potential new engine as Toyota tools up the facilities.
