Toyota is reportedly eying its sixth production plant in the United States. Documents filed with the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts show that the automaker is considering a new $2 billion facility near its existing truck plant in the state, though the approvals and incentive considerations are still very early in the process.
Codenamed “Project Orca,” the plant could bring as many as 2,000 new jobs to the region near San Antonio. That said, Toyota is focused on finding a location that offers “significant financial incentives and ongoing operational efficiencies,” according to its application.
The documents also give a rough schedule for the project. Toyota wants construction to start this year, with vehicle production beginning in 2030. The automaker also noted that the new facility would “need to be co-located at, or in close proximity to, an existing Toyota manufacturing facility that has (or will have) access to sufficient transportation infrastructure.”
As these things tend to go, Toyota was noncommittal when asked about the project, telling industry publication Automotive News that it has “nothing further to announce at this time.” There are several signs that a new plant is in the works, however, including the company’s commitment to invest at least $10 billion in its U.S. operations through the end of the decade.
We don’t yet know which vehicles Toyota would build at the new facility, but some expect that production of the Tacoma pickup could move back to Texas. The best-selling midsize truck has been built in Mexico since 2021, but recent tariff changes could incentivize a move back to the United States.
Toyota is also rumored to be considering a compact pickup for the U.S. market to compete with the Ford Maverick. Smaller, more affordable trucks are seriously lacking here, but the automaker doesn’t currently have production capacity to handle a new vehicle.
