Automotive
News is reporting that Toyota will reduce the number of Tundra
full size pickups it builds to manage slowing sales of the half-ton
truck.
February
2008 was a poor sales month for almost the entire industry, though
Tundra sales rose 62.2% year to date over 2007. So why the slow down?
The introduction
of the all new Toyota Tundra last year was timed with the opening of
a second truck plant in San Antonio, Texas. The San Antonio facility
can build up to 200,000 Tundras a year, depending on demand, while
the original Princeton, Indiana plant can produce 100,000 a year. So
even though Tundra sales are up relative to the year before, there's
also newly built capacity that's underutilized.
Toyota spokesperson
Joe Tetherow told PickupTruck.com Thursday afternoon that the move
is a prudent business adjustment to help match supply with demand and
factory capacity.
"We're adjusting
production to coincide with the market," says Mr. Tetherow.
Toyota's move
follows similar production decreases by GM, Ford, and Chrysler late
last year and early this year in response to slowing demand for full
size pickups. Some of those manufacturing adjustments resulted in temporary
factory shut-downs.
Mr. Tetherow
is still optimistic about the Tundra's overall sales target for the
year, saying, "The sales goal for the Tundra is to still sell 200,000
(units in 2008)."
