Visit Yaris-factory

The Toyota Yaris is designed for the European market and is also built in Europe. That is why Toyota has a factory in Valenciennes, France, about 20 kilometres from the Belgian border. That location was chosen because northern France has traditionally had a lot of industry, making knowledge and manpower available. Moreover, Valenciennes is easily accessible, which is important for supplying raw materials and distributing the cars.

The factory depends on a lot of suppliers. Most of those companies are in Europe. If parts come from outside Europe, such as from the headquarters in Japan, they are mostly delivered to Rotterdam by ship. To save emissions, they are then transported to the factory not by truck, but by rail. As the Valenciennes plant produces only the Yaris (and Yaris Cross), it is a relatively small complex with an area of "only" 17 hectares and employs about 5,000 people.

From steel to stamping

The production process begins ominously. Already at a great distance, the deep thumping of machines can be heard. Those who get closer can even feel the ground vibrating! Outside are huge coils of steel. They weigh several tonnes each and yet these are "small" rolls of steel because this factory only makes small cars. The steel is cut to size by machines the size of houses and then pounded into shape.

Next, humans and robots work together to weld the shaped sheet metal parts together. This starts with small parts such as a door or tailgate. Gradually, the parts are joined together and the product begins to look more and more like a car. Unlike Korean car factories, this Japanese manufacturer employs many people. Only the transport of parts through the factory is fully automated, which is why self-propelled platforms full of parts whiz between the departments.

The colour of kaizen

When the bodywork is complete, it goes to the paint shop. There, it is cleaned first, as dirt under the paint can cause problems later. First, the chassis is given an anti-rust treatment and then given a colour. Recently, Toyota has developed a technique through which less paint is atomised during spraying and therefore more ends up on the sheet metal, thus reducing losses. This is good for the environment and saves raw materials.

Once the car has been painted, it is time for the engineering. Despite the fact that the Yaris factory builds only two models, the number of combinations of engines, trim levels, options and country-specific modifications is so large that the production process is at least as complex as at factories building multiple models. At the factory, it is clear to see that the hybrid is by far the most chosen powertrain (90%).

What makes Toyota unique globally is the principle of "kaizen", whereby employees are asked to continuously think along to improve the process. This does not only concern their own shop floor; Toyota factories worldwide exchange tips to make work smarter, more pleasant or more efficient.

From the assembly line

When the mechanics are in place and the electronics installed, the Yaris is ready for quality checks. In a long street with bright lights, the paintwork is inspected. A little later, the car goes into the shower to check that everything is waterproof. This artificial downpour actually consists of rainwater, as clean drinking water is not a necessity for this test. Therefore, rainwater is collected and thus the plant saves a lot of water. Moreover, the rainwater is used several times to test many cars for leaks.

The Valenciennes plant produces a Yaris every 58 seconds. There is a total of 14 hours between pressing the first steel plate and starting the engine. After that, the car rolls off the assembly line under its own power. An employee then performs the necessary mechanical checks, after which the Yaris is ready for the public roads.

Conclusion

With great ceremony, the 10-millionth Toyota Yaris was built at the Valenciennes plant. This is one of the two European plants where the Yaris is built. This factory in France has the largest capacity with 300,000 cars per year. 82% of the cars built in France are destined for the European market.

France also works according to the Japanese principle of "kaizen", in which employees think along to continuously improve the production process. Over the years, this has resulted in more convenience for them, as well as energy savings of 59% in 20 years. So every Yaris gets off to an efficient start for many economical miles. 10 million times hooray!