July 28, 2008 - Toyota is remodeling a key manufacturing plant in Japan to make way for more of its best-selling hybrid Priuses, Reuters reports (via Nikkan Kogyo).

Toyota says it will move production of five models from its Tsutsumi plant to another factory in order to increase production of its Prius to at least 480,000 units.

The world’s largest car manufacturer is scrambling to shift production lines as hybrids bump while SUVs slump. Toyota has reported a 12.5% decline in sales of SUVs and pickups. At the same time, sales of its hybrid fell 26% thanks to shortages in inventory.

The company is also planning to change production lines in its plants in Mississippi and Indiana to catch up with the growing demand for the Prius.

Toyota has set a goal of selling at least 1 million hybrid vehicles annually soon after 2010.