Toshiba to build electric vehicle motors

Toshiba Corp. said Tuesday that it will begin building motors for electric and hybrid vehicles at its plants in Texas.

The Japanese conglomerate made the announcement after Ford Motor Co. awarded it a contract to make drive motors for Ford hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles.

Toshiba plans to expand its Houston plant in January 2011 to handle the new manufacturing, with the first production of motors expected in 2012. It will be the company's first overseas manufacturing base for automotive propulsion motors.

The company said it hopes to capitalize on what it believes will be a major expansion in the global market for electric vehicles over the next decade.

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