With the launch of the all-new RAV4, revealed earlier this spring, Toyota is adding a major new step to its Canadian manufacturing operations. The Cambridge and Woodstock plants in Ontario will take on final battery assembly for the hybrid powertrain of the next-generation RAV4.
2026 Toyota RAV4: Fully Electrified with a Focus on Sport and Adventure
Until now, Toyota’s Canadian facilities received pre-assembled battery packs, ready to be installed directly into vehicles. With the upcoming RAV4, however, that will change. Toyota will begin assembling the battery packs in-house using battery modules shipped from its plant in North Carolina once it becomes operational.
This shift in production will not impact staffing levels. Toyota plans to maintain its workforce of 8,500 employees. While the workload is expected to increase with this additional assembly step, Toyota also anticipates improvements in production efficiency across the line.
Toyota MotorManufacturing
Canada | Photo: Toyota
Alongside this change, Toyota will soon begin to partially reorganize its Canadian facilities in preparation for the transition from the 2025 RAV4 to the new 2026 model. When the sixth-generation compact SUV was unveiled, Toyota confirmed it would no longer offer a traditional gasoline engine. The entire lineup will be electrified, allowing buyers to choose between a hybrid or plug-in hybrid powertrain.
Production of the 2026 Toyota RAV4 is scheduled to begin early next year.
Source: Automotive News
