Toyota will invest $210 million to expand West Virginia engine production

WASHINGTON — Toyota is investing $210 million to expand engine production in West Virginia and add 100 new jobs.

The Japanese automaker said it would boost capacity by 70,000 engines a year at the Buffalo, West Virginia plant, up from the nearly 1 million transmissions and engines it produces annually for vehicles assembled in North America.

The investment will increase assembly capacity of its four-cylinder engine line. The plant makes four- and six-cylinder engines for Avalon, Camry, Corolla, Highlander, Lexus ES, Lexus RX350, RAV4 and Sienna.

The investment comes as automakers around the world are shifting more focus to electric vehicles and away from vehicles powered by internal combustion engines.

Toyota says hybrid vehicles, which includes internal combustion engines, will be a key part of its vehicle strategy in the coming decade as other automakers focus more heavily on battery electric vehicles, which only run on electric power.

Toyota said last week that 16% of its U.S. sales were hybrid vehicles in 2020, a figure that will jump to at least 20% in 2021.

VW and Audi to resume production in Mexico after winter storm gas shortage

MEXICO CITY — The Mexican unit of Volkswagen will resume production of its Tiguan sports utility vehicle on Monday evening, the company said in a statement on Sunday, following gas shortages that hit swathes of Mexico last week.

Meanwhile, Audi will resume normal production levels at its plant in Puebla on Monday, after "the supply of hydrocarbons to the industrial sector was guaranteed," the company said on Sunday.

VW's Mexico unit said on Friday that a work stoppage on its Jetta model will continue on Monday and Tuesday, due to an ongoing shortage of natural gas.

As of Friday, VW Audi did not have an official notice guaranteeing a supply of natural gas at regular levels, the company said in a statement.?

Mexico's shortage was the result of the same winter weather system that pummeled southwestern parts of the United States last week.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued a mandate suspending exports of natural gas to Mexico during the state's shortage, but the effects of that temporary order appear to be easing after the order was rescinded Friday.?