Toyota told investors it may buy 400,000 robots for itself and suppliers.
AI News reported on 22 September 2026, citing Reuters, that Toyota discussed the figure with investors earlier this month.
The estimate covers Toyota's own plants and those of its group companies and suppliers. About 150,000 machines would go into Toyota factories, with the other 250,000 going into group companies and suppliers. Spending was put at 1 trillion yen a year, roughly 6.4 billion dollars, from 2028.
These numbers came from investor discussions. Toyota has not committed to the programme or published its own target.
The International Federation of Robotics counted about 450,500 industrial robots already working across Japan in 2024. Another 44,500 were newly installed that year. The measures differ. Toyota's 400,000 would be purchases still to come.
Toyota already runs robots in several manufacturing steps. Its 2026 results listed factory demonstrations covering the moving of parts and the picking of parts.
Robots bought for a supplier sit in a different company's books. Who owns the asset record when the fleet is this big?
Sources
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