Toyota to begin purchasing hybrid electric motors from Hitachi

http://www.nyse.com/interface/jsp/NHDetail.jsp?RequestID=2&pageID=NewsHeadlines&sid=ON%2010/11%2062&isdowjones=true
TOKYO -(Dow Jones)- Toyota Motor Corp. (7203.TO) has begun purchasing electric motors for its popular hybrid vehicles from Hitachi Ltd. (6501.TO) in an effort keep up with rapidly growing consumer demand, the company said Tuesday. Hitachi is supplying motors for the Harrier Hybrid and Kluger Hybrid four- wheel-drive sport-utility vehicles, both launched in Japan in March, a Toyota spokeswoman said. Overseas, the Harrier hybrid is known as the Lexus RX400h and the Kluger hybrid as the Highlander hybrid. In a separate announcement, Toyota said last Wednesday that it had increased its stake in a joint venture with Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. (6752.TO) to produce hybrid-use batteries, making the alliance into a subsidiary. A word of note, Matsushita Electric is the parent company of Panasonic.
Cap'n

That explains it. I was wonder why Toyota was talking about Matsushita Electric and why our radio is from that company.

I wonder if this means lower cost since there's another source for motors.

I think its more that Daisin cant keep up with the demand, especially considering that Ford uses the same electric motors in their hybrids and is also planning on ramping up their hybrid program as well.
Cap'n