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TACUNDRA COMING?: The old Puuenene Mill in central Maui is being eyed for a new Toyota manufacturing plant for its new Tacundra model, as well as for a potential tourist attraction themed on Toyota pickup trucks.
Toyota plans to first introduce its new hybrid truck, the Tacundra, on Maui in an effort to reduce the significant costs of shipping so many of its popular pickup truck models to the Valley Isle, officials said Tuesday.
The top Japanese Automaker hopes to build a “Tacundra Village” around the highly visible historic sugar mill in Puunene to not only manufacture the new model, but also to develop a sort of “All Things Tacoma and Tundra” theme park over time.
“We looked at sales figures, and it clearly was costing waaay too much to ship so many Tacomas and Tundras to Maui,” said Asahi Warau, director of Pacific Island Sales for Toyota. “I mean, we’ve never seen anything like it. It’s like every single adult on Maui bought a Tacoma or Tundra the past 5 years. It's weird.”
Long assumed as Maui’s “unofficial truck,” the Tacoma has endured solid sales here since it was launched in the mid-1990s. It was followed by introduction of the larger, more powerful Tundra by the end of that decade.
Ever since, those Toyota pickup models can be found everywhere on Maui, from the Hana Highway to Kihei Drive, from Napili to the sides of various rural roads around the island. Although those don't seem to get burned up like other car models do.
The new Tacundra will be a hybrid between the 2 models in terms of physical size and engine strength. It will be introduced on Maui only in 2022, with plans to further unveil the model to other states and nations the following year.
“We just figured, no one is more of an expert on Toyota pickups than the thousands of people who own them on Maui,” Warau said.
Toyota already is designing additions to the second line of Tacundras, in 2023, to attract even more Maui buyers, like built-in fishing pole holders on the corners of bumpers, and a small picnic table-like fold-out off the tailgate to promote talk-story sessions behind parked Tacundras.
The automaker has entered talks to build its new manufacturing plant on flat land around the old Puunene Mill, in central Maui not far from OGG. The old mill structures and stovepipes will not be touched, along with the Alexander & Baldwin Sugar Museum, Warau said, out of respect for the significance of the property in the history of Hawaii.
However, the new Toyota plant would be built around those structures. Additionally, there are hopes to open a theme park for visitors to stop by and try to learn why it is exactly that Toyota pickup trucks are so popular on Maui.
