Toyota estimates that modernising factories could cost about ¥1 trillion, or $6.4 billion, a year from 2028 across its group and suppliers. The 400,000 robots in the reports include many existing machines that will be replaced.
New to this? Read it in simple words
- Toyota estimates that updating factories could cost about $6.4 billion a year from 2028. This covers Toyota, its group companies, and major suppliers.
- Toyota told investors that about 400,000 robots would be needed. The number includes many existing machines that will be replaced.
- Some headlines said 400,000 humanoid robots. The Reuters and Car Watch reports do not support that.
- Toyota has not said how many robots will be new or humanoid. It also did not say if the spending will definitely happen.
- Humanoid robot
- A robot shaped like a human body, often with arms and legs.
The big number covers old and new machines
Reuters reports that Toyota estimates factory modernisation could cost about ¥1 trillion, or $6.4 billion, a year from 2028. The estimate covers Toyota, its group companies, and major suppliers.
Toyota told investors that about 400,000 robots would be needed. Reuters says the figure includes replacements and new installations, and both humanoid and non-humanoid robots. Toyota did not say whether the spending will definitely happen.
The Japanese site Car Watch reports that the 400,000 are robots the group already runs and will renew across 60 factories. It gives a split of about 150,000 at Toyota and group companies and 250,000 at suppliers.
Car Watch reports about 150,000 robots at Toyota and group companies and 250,000 at suppliers.
Some robots would learn from skilled workers
Car Watch says the renewal includes robots that run Large Behavior Models. These are robot-learning systems built by Toyota Research Institute.
Toyota’s showcase robot is called ELEY. Automotive World describes it as a wheeled robot of about 50 kilograms with two-fingered hands. It learns by watching workers who wear finger-shaped tools.
At a briefing, ELEY folded T-shirts almost perfectly after 1,500 practice runs over two weeks. Toyota executive Hiroki Nakajima said the company wants robots to work alongside people, not replace them.
Headlines about humanoid armies go too far
Some coverage described 400,000 humanoid robots. The Reuters and Car Watch reports do not support that. They describe a broad renewal of industrial robots, logistics machines, and future robots that work beside people.
Toyota’s own page about ELEY lists open problems. Robots must run reliably for long hours, place their hands in the same position every time, and depend on strong data systems for learning.
Toyota has not said how many robots will be new, how many will be humanoids, or how many ELEY units it plans. Its next investor updates should show whether the estimate becomes a real budget.
Sources
Every fact in this story comes from the sources below. Open them to check our work.
- 1Research · September 18, 2026Toyota estimates factory automation could cost $6.4 billion per year from 2028 Reuters via Investing.com
- 2Research · September 18, 2026トヨタ、毎年1兆円を投資し工場とロボットを更新 40万台をフィジカルAIであるLarge Behavior Models搭載ロボなどに Car Watch (Impress)
- 3Research · September 18, 2026Toyota plans to deploy 400,000 factory robots from 2028 Automotive World
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We found no Toyota press release about the estimate, so we used Reuters, Car Watch, and Automotive World reports of the investor briefing. We used Toyota’s own page for background on ELEY. Reports split the 400,000 robots in slightly different ways, and we use the Car Watch version.