The company was planning to bring the Prius to the world via the new Mississippi site, but the scheme has been killed due to the fact that the global downturn has reduced the demand for the hybrid vehicle.
Toyota said that the Prius will be produced in America when the vehicle gets a new generation and that the Mississippi plant will be used to build the Corolla sedan.
"The main components for the Prius such as the motor and battery are not mature enough for local production," Executive Vice President Atsushi Niimi was quoted as saying by the aforementioned source. "We expect that they'll be ready with the next remodelling."
The executive added that the automaker will choose a new U.S. location for the next generation Prius (this will be the fourth incarnation of the car), which is expected to hit the market in 2016.
Niimi also pointed out that the company estimates that the U.S. automotive market will still be facing difficulties in the near-term, meaning that a recovery that would be sufficient for Toyota is still a few years away.
"If you look at unemployment, housing, and other economic indicators there's not much good news. I think it will take time for the market to recover," the executive was quoted as saying by Reuters.
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