A Cinematic Sponsored Documentary Marking Nearly 70 Years of Toyota in America To Air on Discovery Turbo and Discovery Go
PLANO, Texas, June 15, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Seven decades. In the life of a nation, it's a chapter. In the life of an industry, it's an evolution. But for one company, it has been a promise kept – a promise not just to sell cars in America, but to assemble them here, alongside the people who drive them.
As America approaches its 250th birthday, the question isn't just how far we've come. It's where we're headed next. Who assembles the vehicles that keep America moving? And how is one of the world's largest automakers preparing for an electrified future while remaining deeply rooted in the communities it has called home for nearly 70 years?
Those questions are at the heart of Built to Last: Toyota's Mobility Journey — a cinematic half-hour documentary produced by Bader Media and funded by Toyota Motor North America. Hosted by Dallas-Fort Worth-based broadcaster Celena Rae, the program takes viewers behind the scenes of Toyota's decades in America — from the first Toyopet sedan in 1950's to the rolling hills of Georgetown, Kentucky, to the new battery frontiers of Liberty, North Carolina.
The story spans eleven U.S. manufacturing plants, 1,500 dealers, and nearly 50,000 American team members. It traces Toyota's nearly 70-year commitment — from assembly lines and supplier networks to cutting-edge battery production. That commitment continues today through more than $60 billion in announced U.S. investments, including the landmark $14 billion battery manufacturing facility in Liberty, North Carolina — the largest economic development project in the state's history.
Along the way, Celena Rae meets with Toyota leaders, U.S. governors and senators, and the men and women on the factory floor who bring the company's vision to life. Together, they reveal how Toyota is navigating one of the biggest transformations in automotive history through a multi-pathway approach — advancing hybrid, plug-in hybrid, battery electric, and emerging technologies to deliver practical solutions for drivers, communities, and the future of mobility.
DISTRIBUTION
Built to Last: Toyota's Mobility Journey premieres Saturday, June 27, 2026 at 7 AM (ET & PT) on Discovery Turbo, with an encore airing on July 11, 2026 and on-demand viewing on Discovery Go. The 30-minute television program also includes a 30-second branded "Did You Know?" spot marking the 40th anniversary of Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky.
Premiere schedule:
- National Premiere: Saturday, June 27, 2026, 7 AM (ET & PT) on Discovery Turbo with an encore airing on Saturday, July 11, 2026.
- Discovery Go (Streaming): https://go.discovery.com/
WHAT VIEWERS WILL LEARN
- Roots & Commitment: Inside Toyota's flagship Kentucky operation in Georgetown — Toyota's largest manufacturing plant in the world, spanning nine million square feet — where 87 "Day One" team members from 1986 are still on the floor today, anchoring a new $800 million investment in electrification.
- Powering the Future: A first look at the $14 billion battery "mega-site" in Liberty, North Carolina — the largest economic development project in that state's history — designed to produce 30 gigawatt-hours of battery power annually for hybrid, plug-in hybrid and battery electric vehicles assembled in the United States.
- Toyota Across America: A coast-to-coast exploration of Toyota's American story—from Toyota's headquarters in Plano, Texas, to the engine lines of Huntsville, Alabama; the truck capital of San Antonio; Buffalo, West Virginia's hybrid transformation; and the families, workers, and communities that have shaped generations of manufacturing excellence in Princeton, Indiana.
- Safety, Sustainability & Spirit: A look at the "living blueprint" for sustainability at Toyota's Plano headquarters — including one of the largest corporate solar arrays in Texas and rainwater cisterns that collect as much as 400,000 gallons — and inside Toyota's Collaborative Safety Research Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where life-saving innovations are shared as a "gift to the industry."
- A Multi-Pathway Strategy: A clear-eyed look at Toyota's many electrified vehicle options across the Toyota and Lexus brands, and how a portfolio approach including hybrids, plug-in hybrids and battery electrics are meeting the needs of every type of American driver.
Join us as the program follows Celena Rae's journey across the heartland — from the Lone Star State, to the rolling hills of Kentucky, to the new battery frontiers of North Carolina — through the people, the innovation, and the spirit that are truly built to last.
About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in the U.S. for nearly 70 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our nearly 1,500 dealerships.
Toyota directly employs approximately 48,000 people in the U.S. who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of more than 36 million cars and trucks at our 11 manufacturing plants. In 2025, Toyota's plant in North Carolina began to assemble automotive batteries for electrified vehicles.
To help inspire the next generation for careers in advanced manufacturing, Toyota launched its in-person tour booking platform and virtual tour experience at www.TourToyota.com allowing guests to schedule a live tour to see several of our U.S. manufacturing facilities in action or visit all plants virtually from anywhere around the globe.
For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.
MEDIA CONTACTS
Toyota Motor North America
Ed Hellwig
edward.hellwig@toyota.com
Bader Media
Hena Cuevas
+1.202.503.4460
hena.cuevas@bader.media
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SOURCE Toyota Motor North America