Mitsubishi Motors Corp. is preparing to resume minivehicle production, possibly on July 4, company sources said Thursday.
It suspended assembly of the vehicles at its Mizushima plant in Kurashiki, Okayama Prefecture, amid a scandal over falsified mileage figures in April.
Of Mitsubishi's three assembly plants in Japan, only Mizushima produces the tiny, economical cars.
The automaker is acting in part to ease pressure on parts suppliers and dealerships, the sources said.
However, given that the scandal has left Mitsubishi bracing for a sharp fall-off in sales, the plant is expected to operate at only half its pre-crisis levels, the sources said.
The plant is where the automaker assembled the eK Wagon, eK Space, Dayz and Dayz Roox — the latter two supplied to Nissan Motor Co.
Of its roughly 3,600 workers, about 1,300 involved in minivehicle manufacturing were told to stay at home.
Minicars, which sport engines no larger than 660 cubic centimeters, are a category unique to the Japanese market. They are popular for their low prices.
Fuel economy matters in part because it is a determining factor in which vehicles qualify for government tax breaks.
Mitsubishi Motors said Wednesday it expects a group net loss of ¥145 billion in the fiscal year ending next March, falling into the red for the first time in eight years.
The automaker also said it expects ¥150 billion in extraordinary losses for fiscal 2016.