NEW YORK: Toyota Motor Corp. said Friday that it will invest 461 million dollars to renew facilities at a plant in the US state of Kentucky.

In a related move, production of some vehicle models will be transferred to plants in Japan.

The renewal of the factory for finished vehicles is scheduled to be completed by 2025.

The leading Japanese automaker plans to introduce the latest equipment and increase the production line for engines at the Kentucky plant.

By improving the speed and flexibility of operations at the plant, Toyota hopes to prepare for the production of new models, including electric vehicles.

The plant will continue producing the Camry sedan, its hybrid version and the hybrid version of the RAV4 SUV.

On the other hand, the production of the Lexus ES luxury sedan and its hybrid version will be transferred to a plant in Japan before the next model changeover.

The move is aimed at ensuring enough space for assembling new models to meet demand in the U.S. market, Toyota officials said.

JIJI Press