Japanese automaker Toyota is planning to invest $30m at its Princeton manufacturing plant in Indiana, US to boost the production of gas variant of Highlander mid-size sport utility vehicle (SUV) starting in 2014.
The new investment will bring the carmaker's overall investment in the Toyota Motor Manufacturing Indiana (TMMI) facility to more than $4.2bn, and the project would allow increasing the plant's production capacity by 15,000 units.
TMMI president Norm Bafunno said: "This capacity increases to meet growing demand for the Highlander and is a part of our strategy to build vehicles where we sell them."
In the past 20 months, Toyota has invested about $2bn to boost production at its US and Canada facilities including Huntsville, Alabama; Buffalo, West Virginia; Georgetown, Kentucky; and Ontario.
Toyota's Indiana plant produces gas variant of Highlander SUV and is also planning to commence the production of the hybrid version before the end of 2013.
Highlander SUVs built at Indiana facility will be exported to Russia and Australia with further plans to other countries later this year.
