Japanese auto manufacturers Toyota motor and Mazda motor aims to establish a $1.6 billion assembly plant in Huntsville, Alabama and is set to announce the plans on Wednesday afternoon in Alabama.
Various sources stated that the governor of Alabama, Governor Kay Ivey, along with Toyota executives are expected to attend the said announcement.
The plant would build one of the most recognized model of Toyota, the Toyota Corolla along with other various models. This move is considered as a huge win for United States president Donald Trump’s administration which emphasized that it would add manufacturing jobs mainly in the auto industry.
The plant is estimated to offer approximately 4,000 jobs and produce about 300,000 vehicles per year.
Toyota motors is recalling an additional 601,000 vehicles in the United States to replace faulty and possibly deadly Takata airbag inflators.
As stated by the company, the recall includes the Toyota Matrix and Corolla, Lexus IS250, Scion xB and the Lexus IS-F from the 2009, 201 and 2013 models. The 2010 and 2013 Toyota 4 – Runner, Lexus GX460, 2013 Toyota Sienna, Lexus ES350, Lexus IS250C as well as the 2009 and 2010 Toyota Yaris.
The recalls followed the report issued by Takata that showed an additional 3.3 million faulty inflators. The inflators are described to be susceptible to explosion with excessive force that can hurl debris and shrapnel at significant speeds. At least 20 casualties are reported so far and over 280 are injured. Owners are going to be notified in March, dealers will also replace from passenger airbag assemblies or inflators.