Toyota announced this week that it'll be changing the production lineup at three of its North American plants, making room for an American-made Prius. The change comes in response for the growing demand for hybrids, which Toyota has struggled to meet despite the popularity of the Prius.

The three plants with changing production plans are located in Blue Springs, Mississippi, Princeton, Indiana and San Antonio, Texas. The Blue Springs plant is still currently under construction and should be operational in 2010. The changes to production include devoting the new Mississippi plant entirely to the Prius. That plant was originally planned to handle the manufacturing of the Toyota Highlander, a mid-size SUV, which will be manufactured in Princeton as of fall 2009. Production of the Toyota Tundra will be consolidated at the San Antonio plant — it's currently produced in both Texas and Indiana.

In addition to the change-up, Toyota is putting the manufacture of both the Tundra and the Sequoia on a temporary hiatus starting August 8. Employees at the Princeton and San Antonio plants, as well as a plant in Huntsville, Alabama that produces both vehicles, will continue to work. The hiatus is scheduled to end in early November.  The dropping demand for full-size SUVs and trucks led to this decision.

"The truck market continues to worsen, so unfortunately we must temporarily suspend production. But this good news about production mix demonstrates our long-term commitment to our North American operations and to our team members, supplier partners, and communities where our plants are located," said Jim Wiseman, vice president/external affairs for Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America (TEMA). "By using this downturn as an opportunity to develop team members and improve our operations, we hope to emerge even stronger."

Toyota employees are surely breathing a sigh of relief, especially following the announcement last week that even Toyota is sharing in the dropping numbers that are troubling the automotive industry. While other companies are closing plants and laying off workers, though, Toyota looks like it will be able to adapt its production to a more effective strategy. Considering that in its North American plants, the company employs more than 43,000 people, it's good to see that Toyota is on the ball. The Prius continues to dominate the hybrid market, of course, giving Toyota a major edge in facing the problems plaguing car companies.

Photo — dantheurers