2017 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro 02As light trucks continue to prove more popular in the U.S., Toyota announced that it will be shifting production in an attempt to meet demand, though it will be some time before shortages are overcome.
As consumers continue to buy more pickups, Toyota is adjusting its 50-50 car-truck sales split to a more truck heavy 60-40 split, according to Automotive News.
But the adjustment won’t come fast for the brand’s popular midsize Tacoma and full-size Tundra where plants in San Antonio and Tijuana, Mexico can’t keep up with demand.
Toyota will be expanding its Tijuana plant where Tacoma is produced, but changes won’t take effect until late 2017 or early 2018. As a result, shortages are expected to continue next year.
Bill Fay, general manager of Toyota’s truck division, said he doesn’t anticipate many challenges in shifting production from sedans to light trucks.
“We’ve been able to move the production around in a way that we haven’t needed to lay anyone off, which is good,” Fay said.
