Jul. 2--NAGOYA -- Toyota Motor Corp. is leaving open the possibility of continuing alone a car manufacturing plant in California to produce its best-selling Prius hybrid after General Motors Corp. withdrew from the joint venture, a senior company official said Thursday.

"We've upgraded the facilities during the past five to six years," the official said. "It would be physically possible to manufacture the Prius."

"A shutdown is also an option, but it would be very challenging for Toyota, which has little experience in closing down big plants," the official added.

Japan's top automaker is still weighing both options for the 25-year-old joint venture plant, called New United Motor Manufacturing Inc., after the bankrupt U.S. auto giant recently announced withdrawal as part of its restructuring program.

But other officials also say it may be difficult to bring the Prius production to NUMMI unless demand in the battered U.S. auto market shows a strong recovery.

Toyota is currently delaying the start of operations at a Mississippi plant which was scheduled to begin production of the gasoline-electric hybrid from next year.

NUMMI was a beachhead for Toyota's entry into the U.S. market and emerged at the height of frictions between the U.S. and Japanese auto industries.

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