Currently the world's largest automaker, Toyota sells vehicles in virtually every corner of the globe and is one of the world's most recognizable brands. But did you know that the Japanese giant builds houses, too -- and not just in some experimental program, but for the last 33 years? Well now Toyota is looking to raise awareness of its homebuilding division, and plans to use some of its recent ecological expertise to help.
Since 1975, the Toyota Home division has built steel-frame, prefab houses designed to resist earthquakes and typhoons. Created in factories as a series of boxes complete with built-in toilets, baths, and kitchen cabinets, the houses are then fit together at the building site and can be completed from start to finish in just 45 days. Yet despite this, they're relatively unknown even in Japan, and Toyota Home accounts for just 0.5 percent of the company's total annual sales.
The division is working hard to raise its profile. After hiring architects to help make its lineup more appealing, Toyota Home launched a new advertising campaign and opened a line of showrooms. But the automaker's primary plan of attack is a link with its plug-in hybrid program -- with a PHEV Prius set to be unveiled in 2010, Toyota is developing a home electricity-monitoring system that will automatically charge the car during off-peak hours, while using its battery to serve as a backup power source in case of a blackout. In addition, the company is experimenting with solar panels and fuel cells to keep the homes (and cars) off the grid.
Given Toyota Home's obscurity, you may think its prefab range would be limited, but in fact the automaker offers an extensive lineup from $200,000 starter homes to 2,600-square-foot luxury units costing $800,000. Most buyers are current Toyota drivers, and you can use the same key to open both your house and vehicle. Considering that the automaker's American sales totaled 193,234 vehicles in June alone, the home division's goal of moving 7000 houses per year seems extrememly modest. Then again, Toyota Home products are only available in Japan, and the automaker has no plans to expand in the foreseeable future. Toyota's plug-in hybrid-friendly houses may be minor players at the moment, but with companies like VW, Nissan, and GM all developing electric cars or PHEVs, they could well be a sign of things to come.
Source: The Wall Street Journal