Toyota West Virginia plans to invest $240 million to expand its assembly plant and add a dedicated production line of hybrid transaxles in Buffalo, West Virginia.

According to Toyota officials, the new investment will provide new equipment and operational upgrades to modernize the facility. One important result of the new line is that it will allow TMMWV team members to diversify their skillset and play a larger role in Toyota's future producing electric vehicles in North America.

"Toyota West Virginia is preparing for future market needs as demand increases in the area of vehicle electrification," said Srini Matam, president of TMMWV. "The investment will fund targeted improvements that will increase our flexibility and competitiveness, allowing us to be in a better position to directly respond to shifting customer demand for higher efficiency vehicles."

Hybrid vehicle systems combine two separate sources of propulsion or motive power, such as an internal combustion engine and an electric motor, to take advantage of their respective benefits while also compensating for their respective limitations, the automaker explained.

"Toyota has long been an outstanding corporate partner and engine for economic growth in our state," said West Virginia Governor Jim Justice. "I'm proud knowing that it'll be West Virginians helping lead the way as Toyota continues to invest in future technologies and products that'll help get our friends and neighbors to their destinations more efficiently and safer than ever before."

Toyota said it has committed to offering an electrified option across its entire lineup of both Toyota and Lexus vehicles by 2025. Advancing its production of electrified vehicles and their components, such as these hybrid transaxles, plays a part in helping Toyota to achieve its goals for carbon neutrality.