Toyota CEO dons MAGA hat, Trump-Vance shirt at NASCAR event as firm unveils $912M US investment

Toyota on Tuesday unveiled a $912 million investment in US manufacturing, days after CEO Akio Toyoda hosted a pink, white and blue NASCAR event in Japan while sporting a Trump-Vance shirt and pink MAGA hat.

The Sunday spectacle at Toyota’s Fuji Speedway featured top drivers, a crowd waving American flags and an look from US Ambassador to Japan George Glass, according to Automotive News.

The top Toyota exec nodded to latest US-Japan commerce tensions during his daring show of pro-Trump sentiment.

“I’m not here to argue whether tariffs are good or bad. Every national leader wants to protect their own industry,” Toyoda said ahead of the endurance race. 

US Ambassador George Glass and Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda at a NASCAR event on Sunday. Instagram/usambjapan

“We are exploring ways to make tariffs a winner for everyone. The people we want most to be winners are our customers.”

Japan is facing a roughly 15% baseline tariff on auto imports, slashed down from 27.5% as half of a commerce settlement in September.

“Start your engines!” Glass’ account tweeted Sunday alongside pics of him and Toyoda, who’s the grandson of Toyota Motors founder Kiichiro Toyoda. “Looking forward to celebrating the culture of [US] motorsports again next year” as half of America’s 250th-anniversary festivities in Japan, he added.

Toyota, the second-largest vendor of new autos in the US behind General Motors, on Tuesday announced its almost $1 billion investment will ramp up hybrid automobile manufacturing across the Southern US. 

Toyota will invest more than $900 million in US manufacturing. be free – stock.adobe.com

It’s half of a beforehand announced plan by the Japanese automaker to invest up to $10 billion in the US by 2030, which President Trump revealed last month. Most of the investments are anticipated to be accomplished by 2027.

Toyota already leads hybrid automobile manufacturing with more than 51% market share by way of the third quarter of this 12 months, according to Motor Intelligence data.

But the company is trying to additional increase manufacturing of hybrid-compatible engines and autos at sure American services. 

“Customers are embracing Toyota’s hybrid vehicles, and our US manufacturing teams are gearing up to meet that growing demand,” Kevin Voelkel, senior vice president of manufacturing operations, said in a assertion.

The star-spangled spectacle featured top drivers and a crowd waving American flags. Instagram/usambjapan

“Toyota’s philosophy is to build where we sell, and by adding more American jobs and investing across our US footprint, we continue to stay true to that philosophy.”

Of the investments announced Tuesday, the largest is $453 million towards Toyota’s Buffalo, W. Va., plant to ramp up the meeting of four-cylinder, hybrid-compatible engines.

Another $204.4 million goes towards the automaker’s Georgetown, Ky., plant to increase manufacturing of the same engines.

Toyota says it’s also sending $125 million to develop manufacturing of Corolla autos and add hybrid automobile manufacturing at its Blue Springs, Miss., manufacturing unit.

Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda said during the event that the firm is “exploring ways to make tariffs a winner for everyone.” Instagram/usambjapan

The automaker is also investing $71.4 million in its Jackson, Tenn., plant and $57.1 million in its Troy, Mo., facility. 

The investments are anticipated to create 252 new jobs, according to Toyota.

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