Cars are all around us. There are more and more of them on the roads, they are becoming more and more modern and advanced, and many would be ‘lost’ if that means of transport were taken away from them. Regardless of the fact that they are constantly around us, there are few people who wonder how cars are actually made, where and how they are produced. How many production processes are behind a finished car coming off the assembly line? I looked for answers to some of these questions in France, specifically in Onnaingu near Valenciennes, which is very close to the border with Belgium. There is a Toyota factory officially called Toyota Motor Manufacturing France (TMMF).
Two models from the same production line
It is about the factory where the Yaris and Yaris Cross models are produced. It is not the only Toyota factory in Europe. In the Czech Republic they produce the Aygo X and Yaris, in the United Kingdom the Corolla. The Corolla is also produced in Turkey, where the C-HR also rolls off the production lines. In the UK, they also produce drive motors, which also come from Poland, where they also assemble gearboxes. In Turkey, they also produce high-voltage batteries for hybrid models. In Portugal, the Toyota Caetano factory was created with the Salvador Caetano Auto company. This brings us to a total of 8 production facilities in 6 countries. In addition, in Spain, France, Italy and Poland, in partnership with Stellantis, they produce Proace models. All this led to the fact that as many as 77% of Toyota vehicles sold in Europe are produced in Europe.
Toyota has been producing vehicles in Europe for decades, with a clear focus on quality, efficiency and continuous improvement. At Toyota Motor Manufacturing France, these principles come together in one of Toyota’s most advanced and fully integrated production facilities. This Japanese manufacturer continues to strengthen its presence in Europe with local production playing a central role in delivering vehicles that meet the expectations of European customers. Of course, all this while simultaneously reducing the impact on the environment.
More than ‘real’ French models are produced
The location of the factory itself covers an area of 18 hectares. Everything is optimized for maximum efficiency. They employ around 4,800 workers and have a daily production capacity of over 1,250 vehicles. They say that every 58 seconds a new Yaris or Yaris Cross comes off the assembly line. The whole story began in 1998 when the TMMF project started. The first produced car rolled off the assembly lines in 2001, and it was the first generation Yaris. Since 2004, they have been increasing their capacity by introducing a third shift, while a year later production of the second generation Yaris starts. The third generation was produced from 2011, while the current fourth generation is in production from 2020.
A year later, they also start producing the Cross version. Today, the Yaris Cross is the model most produced in France. More than the ‘real’ French models. Production takes place in the center of a market of 110 million customers. Thus, as much as 16% of all produced copies remain in France, while 15% pertain to Italy and the UK. 9% of vehicles go to Poland, 8% to Spain, while 6% go to Germany. In this French factory, only hybrid models are produced. At the beginning of production at TMMF, they delivered around 150,000 vehicles per year, and last year they produced 283,465 cars.
From a sheet roll…
Toyota started selling its cars in Europe as early as 1963. Last year, they sold 1.23 million vehicles, thus holding 7.2% of the market. So far, through Toyota and Lexus models, they have sold more than 7 million electrified units, while last year their share of such models was 77%. In Europe, they directly employ over 25 thousand people and have invested more than 12 billion euros since 1990. These are very serious figures. The success of the Yaris Cross model is measured by the fact that it accounts for 16% of Toyota’s total sales in Europe, so it sold more than 200,000 units last year.
In TMMF, vehicles are created from the very beginning, from a roll of sheet metal that is cut to certain sizes, which are then transformed into new shapes using huge presses of as much as 41 thousand tons. Of course, for each required part, a different module is used to shape the required part. It is impressive how much the ground shakes even at a distance of 20 meters when that press squeezes its piece of sheet metal and shapes it into the required shape. It’s easy to think that the previously mentioned press can’t make a mistake by means of a mold, that is, that everything turns out perfectly. Unfortunately, that is not the case. Every machine can make a mistake, even a tiny bubble of air can create an irregularity on that part of the sheet. Of course, that’s why there are experts who check how individual metal parts turned out, that is, so that possible irregularities can be corrected. Quality control takes place in numerous stages of vehicle assembly, so that at the end of the production process a completely correct car rolls off the assembly line without any visual or possibly technical defects.
As much production as possible in one location
There is no point in ‘drowning’ you with all the necessary production processes to create a complete car, but I can say that they showed us the important things. After the production of individual necessary metal parts, their welding begins. This biggest role is taken over by numerous robots that perform it extremely accurately and precisely. Later, numerous parts are “assembled” on the conveyor belt, and after that, all the necessary parts are connected to the platform. One of the important processes also refers to painting, i.e. varnishing, which takes place in individual stages because metal and plastic parts cannot be painted with the same processes.
When I already mentioned the plastic parts, it is extremely important to note that this is a factory that is arranged somewhat differently from numerous other factories. Namely, it is known that car manufacturers produce certain vehicle parts themselves, while entrusting some to numerous suppliers. Some of these parts are, say, vehicle bumpers. For the Yaris and Yaris Cross models, in this French factory, Toyota produces itself. This gave them greater quality control, easier logistics processes and, of course, greater profitability. They say that it is much easier for them also due to the fact that they can adjust the production itself much more simply, depending on the orders, without the need for new negotiations with possible suppliers.
Take care of the ecology
We encounter a large number of plastic parts on every car, but they are made of different types of plastic. Some plastics can be recycled much more easily, that is, they can be used as raw material for some new plastic products, while some cannot be reused.
Ecology is extremely important for all car manufacturers, both as a finished product, the use of which is intended to reduce the level of CO2 emissions, and before that, in the production itself. The factory’s employees constantly undergo training and work on improving the production processes and when it comes to the CO2 footprint. The goal is for the factory to become completely neutral by 2030. Last year, compared to 2001, they managed to reduce CO2 emissions by 72%. They reduced the use of energy by 64%, water from the plumbing system by 83%, produce 59% less garbage, and I reduced air pollution by 62%. Throughout history, we know how Toyota continuously works to incorporate numerous Japanese philosophies and principles into its operations. Poor among them is kaizen, which refers to continuous improvement, which is applied to Toyota’s production system, there is a continuous synergy of automation and human expertise.
When we put it specifically in CO2 neutrality, it means that they apply advanced systems for the treatment of waste water. They collect rainwater from vast parking areas for manufactured vehicles which is later used for numerous manufacturing processes while the ‘waste’ water is purified so well that it can later be discharged into the local river without any negative impact on flora and fauna. Also, all the time they are working on increasingly advanced and better optimization of the heating process and energy use. All this shows how sustainability is fully incorporated into everyday production operations.
Restored Toyota Yaris Cross
At the center of the factory visit was the modified Yaris Cross. I have already mentioned that it is Toyota’s best-selling model in Europe and a key product manufactured at TMMF. Since its introduction in 2021, the Yaris Cross has built a very strong appeal among European buyers, becoming the best-selling car in its segment. Its share in the increasingly popular B-SUV segment is 11%
The renewed edition retains its proven formula: hybrid efficiency, the practicality of a compact SUV, the availability of AWD and Toyota reliability. There’s a cleaner, bolder front-end design that brings a honeycomb grille, and there are newly designed LED lights that include integrated daytime running lights as standard. There are also innovations in the interior, which brings a more refined passenger cabin with upgraded seats and trim details.
The refined Yaris Cross will also be available in the GR Sport edition. It brings a sporty style with a more aggressive exterior design and a new front fascia. This model will also be recognizable by its 18-inch alloy wheels. Basically, numerous changes and improvements so that the Yaris Cross continues to safely walk its path as a successful model.
