U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito, who chairs the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, has expressed support for Toyota’s decision to invest $423 million in its Buffalo, West Virginia manufacturing plant. This new investment increases Toyota’s total commitment to the state’s automotive industry to $3.3 billion.
The expansion will create 80 additional jobs at the facility, which currently employs more than 2,000 people. The funds will be used to boost production of four-cylinder hybrid-compatible engines, sixth-generation hybrid transaxles, and rear motor stators.
“I am thrilled to learn about Toyota’s latest investment in West Virginia and their ongoing trust in our talented West Virginian auto workers. After visiting Toyota’s plant in Buffalo just last week, I was amazed by the scale of the facilities and Toyota’s dedication to continued growth in our state. I celebrate the addition of 80 more West Virginian jobs to the more than 2,000 jobs that the plant already provides, and I look forward to the continued partnership between Toyota and our state for many years to come,” Chairman Capito said.
Earlier this year, Senator Capito led efforts in the Senate against the Advanced Clean Cars II waiver and initiated a congressional review process aimed at overturning it. She argued that without these actions, there would have been a forced market shift away from internal combustion engines and hybrids toward electric vehicles only—a change she believes would have limited growth opportunities for automotive manufacturing nationwide.
