Toyota today announced it will invest an additional €17.8m (£12m) in its Yaris production plant in Valenciennes, France, in order to better respond to European parts demand.

The investment will be used to expand Toyota Motor Manufacturing France’s (TMMF) press shop facilities, creating 30 new jobs. In early May, TMMF increased its annual production capacity from 184,000 to 210,000 Yaris models, adding 500 new employees. Depending on market demand, TMMF’s output could be increased to a possible 240,000 units annually.

Toyota has already invested €710 million (£478 million) in its Valenciennes plant in the north of France, which has been making the Yaris model since January 2001. The plant also assembles 30,000 diesel engines annually, in addition to 150,000 petrol engines, for the Toyota Yaris. TMMF currently employs almost 3,300 people.