In a recent statement, Toyota states the company’s intention to produce up to 216,000 new twin-turbo V6 engines per year at the company’s Huntsville, Alabama engine plant. Does it mean that Toyota is planning to sell up to 216,000 new Toyota Tundra trucks per year? It may not be that straightforward. Let’s dig in.
Toyota says:
“At 142 yards, both of the twin-turbo V6 engine options for the 2022 Tundra are being built on the longest Toyota engine line in North America. The V6 Turbo line will produce a new engine every 58 seconds, with a capacity to build 18,000 engines each month.”
This indeed works out to be a factory capacity of up to 216,000 engines per year. If every one of these engines is for a new Toyota Tundra – then Tundra’s annual sales in the United States would approximately double. If you look at the 2020 and 2019 U.S. sales reports – Toyota sold just over 111,000 Tundra trucks in 2019, and just over 109,000 Tundra trucks in 2020.
The new twin-turbo V6 engines are not solely for the new Tundra. The new 2022 Lexus LX600 will be using the same engine with a different tune. This is what we know for sure at this time.
If we consider some other unofficial information, then the next-gen 2023 Toyota Sequoia SUV may also be using the same (or very similar 3.5L twin-turbo V6) engine as in the Tundra.
Companies usually do not like to predict sales volumes for any vehicle they produce. This statement about engine production does not necessarily mean that Toyota plans to sell 216,000 Tundras per year. However, they could produce that many if the demand was there.