Toyota plans $6.42 billion in annual factory upgrades

Starting in 2028, Toyota Motor Group aims to invest $6.42 billion annually in factory upgrades that will include a new robotic workforce, according to Nikkei Asia.

The automaker plans to deploy 400,000 robots across its manufacturing network. About 150,000 robots would operate at Toyota’s own car factories, while another 250,000 would be deployed at group-company facilities that produce various parts and materials.

Toyota is already training humanoid robots

Toyota has begun deploying some of its ELEY humanoid robots on assembly lines so they can learn from human workers. According to Nikkei Asia, employees are teaching the wheeled robots tasks that require precise hand movements by attaching “jigs” designed around humanoid fingers.

The training is part of Toyota’s broader effort to determine how robots can perform manufacturing tasks while working alongside the company’s human workforce.

Executive says robots are not intended to replace workers

Toyota’s robot expansion raises questions about the future of the Japan-based automaker’s workforce, which includes 18,000 veteran workers across 60 plants worldwide, including 11 manufacturing plants in the United States.

However, Toyota Executive Vice President Hiroki Nakajima told Nikkei Asia that the company is aiming for “a world where robots coexist with humans, rather than robots replacing humans.”

It remains unclear how many robots Toyota currently operates or how many of the 400,000 planned machines will be humanoid robots. In the automotive industry, industrial automation has typically relied on robotic arms installed at workstations and mobile robots that transport parts and materials.

Automotive industry continues to expand factory automation

The automotive industry has led the adoption of industrial robots for decades. According to the International Federation of Robotics, 2 million industrial robots were introduced in China in 2024, followed by 450,500 in Japan.

The United States ranked third with 34,200 robots, while South Korea ranked fourth with 30,600.