No Hybrid Camry without Green Fund
June 12, 2008 by Alborz Fallah
The Australian government has been strongly criticised by many media outlets for giving millions in grants for Toyota to build a hybrid Camry in Australia, with many reporting the world’s largest manufacturer was already planning to build the hybrid Camry here, with or without government support, but Toyota disagrees.
The company issued an urgent press release to clarify a story on the front page of the Australian newspaper on Wednesday. Toyota says it had been planning to build the hybrid Camry in Australia but the Governments’ support was a critical factor in securing local production.
“The critical support and strong desire to introduce new environmentally friendly technology and promote increased innovation within the Australian automotive industry enabled Toyota Australia to develop a case for a locally built hybrid Camry.” the company said.
Clive Matthew-Wilson, editor of the car buyers’ Dog & Lemon Guide says the Government sponsorship of hybrids is a farce!
“In a globalised economy, it’s no longer economic to assemble cars in Australia. The Australian car assembly industry was only ever marginally profitable even in economic good times, and the good times are over.” he said
Mr Mathew-Wilson believes the big three Americans (Chrysler, Ford and GM) are in trouble.
“Toyota’s announcement that it will build a hybrid Camry in Australia with government assistance is essentially rearranging the deckchairs on the Titanic. I predict that both Ford and Holden will cease Australian assembly within the next five years. Toyota will stick around until Ford and Holden close down their plants, then Toyota will shift its local assembly operations to Thailand.”
The respected author expects Toyota to sell only a few thousand units in Australia while having limited export potential for the model given the high cost of assembly in Australia.
Will the Toyota hybrid Camry be successful?
Print it: 
Tragically the truth hurts. Ford and Holden in Australia has for to long been following the American model when it comes to car types. Now GM and Ford are suffering badly in the States but at least with a population 280 million plus they might be able to ride the wave of decreasing sales. Australia on the other hand with a population of 20 million plus, I believe we will see a loss of one if not both Ford and Holden from the manufacturing sector. All of this because instead of us showing leadership when it came to car types we just followed the orders from the parent companies in the States. I read recently that Ford Australia was suppose to have introduced a diesel in the new FG Falcon/Territory range but some genious decided to shelve the idea.
Spin doctor bull crap!!!!!!
Did anyone see the face on the Japanese executive when he was asked about the money???? He had no idea!
Why don’t we weave baskets and grass mats.
Bloody experts wouldn’t know if u were up em unless u coughed!
Too expensive to manufacture cars in Austalia what a load of crap!
Most of the process is automated with Robotics.Europe,Japan,USA have similar labour costs.
Korea and Thailand no doubt undercut this and u can possibly pump all your waste in a nearby Thai river saving more money.
I agree Carl definitely policy on the run.
Given the price of the current Prius are people going to be willing to pay 50 to 100% more for a Hybrid Camry over standard for a 30% fuel saving?
Both Ford and Holden have reportedly had a go at eco-friendly big cars, anyone remember the ECOmmodore from the olympics? there was also a report some time back that Ford and one of the uni’s were working on a hydrogen xr6t that was fairly advanced down the development track. Does someone at CA has some more info on that?
Zandit Ford have not updated to the progress of Hydrogen development, but I will check for you now.
Thanks Alborz, this is my first chance to get onto this site, since i didnt have internet access at home until now! that didnt stop me from checking everything out while i had some free time att work!! congratulations on a great site
He is totally right, Toyota will go off shore as soon as Ford and Holden will shut down and in this rate it will happen soon,
Australia just doesn’t deserve to have an car industry anymore.
We have shift into buying more exported cars and we are underestimating how good the local product is.
The new FG Flacon not only look good and well equipped it also got a 10.1/L per 100km fuel Avg. for a 6 cyl that is bloody amazing.
And pretty good for some of the smaller cars.
Our public service and car fleets are buying more and more exported cars and when they do buy an Aussie made car it’s a Camry of which is only assembled in here and not developed.
Till we change the way we look and act in regards to our real tow car manufactures the end is already known.
“The new FG Flacon not only look good and well equipped it also got a 10.1/L per 100km fuel Avg. for a 6 cyl that is bloody amazing.” it is good ford, problem is I want better, so I bort something that does 8/l per 100. Also the resale isnt 385 in two or three years. Wrong car, wrong market.
actually Ford,The camry is developed here it has diferent suspension and stuff.Plus to make sure that if toyota in oz ever shut down and began to import camrys form another countrie,All australian camry panles will not fit onto a camry made in another countrie.
Out of interest what did u buy Nobby?
The question I have been thinking is if Holden makes the Hybrid Commodore in 2010 and if Toyota will build the Hybrid Camry in the same year (apparentaley it will use 6L/100km) what car out of the two will be the first “Australian” hybrid car? Who will make it first? Toyota or Holden?
I cant wait till exports… not more protection of local industry, hello cheaper cars (in theory, of course manufacturers may just absorb the profits). Eitherway Falcon and Commodore no loss, they are equal last in reliability!
TP do you have to turn every artical in to a argument i say good on Toyota for doing but they should only get 35 million because they all ready had most of the work done holden have just announced and soon ford will follow
Oh TP come on, don’t start a ruckus. I think the days of manufacturing are way from finishing. This whole article is scare mongering. At current economic climate it might make no sense to continue but in 5 years time thing may well change. The Uk still assembles cars for many other countries although the Eastern Europeans are stealing some of the production, or rather the Eurocrats are sharing it out a bit. Works here so why should it not work in Australia.
Do u honestly think Toyota will offer cheaper cars if Ford and Holden their main competition disappear?
Does anybody know my answer? Or what they think?
“Eitherway Falcon and Commodore no loss, they are equal last in reliability!”
TP, please stop giving us CRAP!
Oh benevolent Toyota!
Football Meatpies Kangaroos and Holden cars makes sense to me Duck.
No tangible Aussie input for Toyota will never be Australian.
Toyota Australia Management may as well be cardboard cutouts.
All decisions made in Japan.
This is nothing more than a brand-building exercise. Another marketing master-stroke from Toyleta. It’s what they do best.
Toyoda are masters at deceiving the public, Hybrid head hunters, hey what about thier V8 premium petrol powered landcruisers, the government will say big heavy SUV’s are environmentally friendly too, Brumby and Dud Rudd would jump for joy if they had batteries “bluddy idiot”.
Geee Camry’s are UGLY bits of metal, this would be the last car I would buy, even to look at.. YUKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK
lol Ford GT40 are u some kind of BOT, thats exactly what you said in the other article,
I agree with RealCars on this one, simple economics no competition = no good!
Realcars … yeah, forgot – Holden or Ford Managers make all thier decisions in Australia including the scrapping of the Holden 5.0 v8, Family 2, Fairlane, L6 and hundreds of local jobs
FOOL !!
GM toyota get off your high horse.
then again the high horse is the only fun you have in your life because you drive a Toyota
Tony M, you’re right that FG was supposed to have a diesel option. Geoff Polites, God rest his soul, had put it high on the list before he left to work on Jag and LR.
Then here comes Tom Gorman, a yank, and helps pull the plug on it. Apparently, Polites was so livid, he started an argument with the guy (I forget his name, he was mostly responsible for dropping the diesel) at a funeral of all places.
Yep, if Polites had’ve stayed after picking FordOZ up by masterminding BA, we’d have a diesel option in FG and Territory already.
Yes it does Realcars!
Hey Duck I am doubly blessed as I have two loves Holden and Ford! Ha Ha Ha.
Even Chairman Crudd knows he has to talk with Toyota Japan!
Get with the program GOOD MOVE TOYOTA!
I am hearing a lot of talk about how diesel engine vehicles are more efficient than hybrid vehicles, but shouldn’t it be about what is good for us. Fact, Hybrid efficiency is on par with diesels. When we talk about the environment, we talk about global warming and we need to reduce CO2, again diesel and Hybrid is on par with this. Diesel produces particulate matter which is very harmful to the health of us all. With Common rail diesel engines these days they are able to make this particulate matter much smaller. So we can’t see it and what we can’t see who cares if we breathe it…they said that about Asbestosis. To go one step further, on some vehicle they use diesel particulate filters to reduce particulate matter but when it blocks up they just burn it all out again all at once. The question here is, do we what to end up like Europe with all the diesel vehicles around and add to how existing health problems? Let’s get our head out of the sand and look at health as well as greenhouse.
Does anyone recall that Howard Goverment handed 100 million to Mitsubishi and now that plant has gone belly up.
Realcars and Ford, you need to understand that all Locally Manufactured Toyota are competing to sell to the rest of the world. So the more Camry we sell Hybrid or not only increases our economy. This money does not go back to Toyota Japan and decisions are made here in OZ.
P.S GM which owns Holden also owns Daewoo which is Korean owned.
Ford which is American also owns 30% of Mazda another Japanese company.
Holden has started rebadging Daewoo’s as Holden. One supporting Korean manufacturing and two placing the lion on a korean car, not that un Australian.
Homegrown, where do you think this handout to Toyota came from? It’s the money Mitsu handed back.
Also to suggest that Toyota Australia profits do not go back to Japan and that engineering and product decisions are made in Australia not Japan is just plain stupid and naive.
o Says:
June 12th, 2008 at 6:08 pm
actually Ford,The camry is developed here it has diferent suspension and stuff.Plus to make sure that if toyota in oz ever shut down and began to import camrys form another countrie,All australian camry panles will not fit onto a camry made in another countrie.
FOOL!
Changing a few spring and shocker rates is “localisation” NOT “local development”.
There is no difference between Camry panels, here or anywhere else (with the exception of the interchangeable aurion panels which are a unique Australian stamping, but which, as a set, will fit an overseas built camry)
Bret Toyota Australia has the power to Develop an Engineer cars in Oz. Examples TRD Aurion and TRD Hilux are not avaliable anywhere but here.
Toyota does use imported parts on the Camry but have 2 major suppliers in Adelaide and Melb so Austrlain business do benfit from this import. The main part of the engine is diretly imported.
Back yard hot rod versions of O/S designed and engineered vehicles proves absolutely nothing.
Toyota Australia does NOT design and engineer vehicles for Australia.
Toyota imports (a percentage of) components to build Camrys just as Holden & Ford do for their respective models.
The Camry currently has a greater percentage of locally sourced components then either the Falcon, Territory and Commodore … FACT !!
Whats even better, people pass comment that the Falcon and Commodore are designed for Australia yet they are amoung the poorest quality and most unreliable examples that can be purchased today.
Infact, the Falcon and Commodore have an undisputable history of being amoung the most troublesome cars to have ever graced Australian roads yet they are ’supposedly’ engineered for Australia.
FACT … most Japanese and reputable European models have long proven to far more reliable and dependable in Australia then locally manufactuered cars from Holden and Ford.
So much for the ‘biult for Australia’ comment … it’s crap !!
And – with exception to the VE, every Commodore model has been nothing more then rehashed Opels – real Australian that is… NOT !!
5.0 V8 … GONE !!
Fairlane … GONE !!
L6 … GOING !!
And how Australian is Holden – simple … they’re not : 100% American owned powered by American engines.
Infact, Holden doesn’t even sponsor are very own National Sport – AFL … pathetic !!
Travel to the most challenging, rugged, arid and unforgiving landscape in Australia and what manufactuer rules the roost … that’s right – Toyota (not Holden)
Better still, the Snowy Mountian Scheme is one of the most historic Australian undertakings of all time yet what recognition does Holden have for it’s achievements … let me help – NOTHING !!
But i tell you what company does … TOYOTA !!
Don’t dare start me on the ‘Holden Is Australian’ arguement BECAUSE IT’S PURE BULLSH*T.
The very backbone of the Australia economy is suppoprted by Farmers, Tradies, Industries and the Mines yet Holden is not even the preferred supplier of motor vehicles to these markets… TOYOTA is !!
Holden is that pathetic they carn’t even supply Australia with a consistant fleet but import trash from Daewoo instead … if you want a 2 star death trap for your young daughter on her ‘p’ plates – visit Holden, they’ll be more then happy to supply such a car.
For those who wonna continue this … i’ll be glad to becuase fact is – Toyota Australia is every bit as Australian (or non Australian) as Ford Australia and Holden and they certainly have the history, market (farmers, tradies, industries and mines) and local manufactuering to justify themselves.
Toyota Oz Says:
June 20th, 2008 at 1:32 pm
“The Camry currently has a greater percentage of locally sourced components then either the Falcon, Territory and Commodore … FACT !!”
NO it’s mot fact is just more Dingo BS. Whilst camry may tip out commodore for local content it still trails Falcon and Territory.
And if you want to factor in design & engineering, Camry/Aurion fails miserably to even rate a mention.
hahahaha “The Camry currently has a greater percentage of locally sourced components then either the Falcon, Territory and Commodore … FACT !!”