Despite the threat of Brexit, Toyota Motor Europe will invest a further £240 million in its Toyota Manufacturing UK car plant in Burnaston, Derbyshire.

Toyota’s investment will improve plant competitiveness and additionally it will promote UK supply chain efficiencies.

Starting this year, the Burnaston facility will be progressively upgraded with new equipment, technologies and systems. This will enable production of vehicles on the Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA) platform.

The investment programme also includes up to £21.3 million support from the UK Government for training, research and development and further enhancements of the plant’s environmental performance.

Announcing the investment, Dr Johan van Zyl, President and CEO of Toyota Motor Europe, said: “We are very focused on securing the global competitiveness of our European plants. The roll-out of TNGA manufacturing capability is part of this plan. This upgrade of TMUK is a sign of confidence in our employees and suppliers and their focus on superior quality and greater efficiency. We welcome the UK Government funding contribution for this activity.”

"Our investment demonstrates that, as a company, we are doing all we can to raise the competitiveness of our Burnaston plant in Derbyshire. Continued tariff-and-barrier free market access between the UK and Europe that is predictable and uncomplicated will be vital for future success".

Toyota has launched a global programme to upgrade its manufacturing sites to produce TNGA-based vehicles. By 2020, the majority of Toyota’s global models will be built using TNGA platforms. TNGA already underpins the new, fourth generation Prius and the all-new, Toyota C-HR crossover, which is built in Turkey, vehicles that epitomise Toyota’s commitment to build ever-better cars for our customers.