History of Toyota

History of ToyotaLook back at the history of Toyota, starting with the birth of founder Sakichi Toyoda. It traces the company's development through 1937 from when Toyota Motor Corporation was established to when the 2 millionth Prius hybrid was sold.

1867 Birth of Sakichi Toyoda.

1924 Sakichi Toyoda invents Toyoda Model G Automatic Loom.

1929 Automatic-loom patent is sold to a British company.

1930 Kiichiro Toyoda begins research on small gasoline-powered engine.

1933 Automobile Department is established at Toyoda Automatic Loom Works, Ltd.

1935 The Toyoda precepts are compiled.

1936 The AA Sedan is completed.

1937 Toyota Motor Co., Ltd. is established.

1938 Honsha Plant begins production

1950 Company faces a financial crisis; Toyota Motor Sales Co., Ltd. is established.

1951 Suggestion System begins.

1955 The Toyopet Crown, Toyopet Master and Crown Deluxe are launched.

1957 The first prototypes of the Crown are exported to the United States; Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A., Inc. is established.

1959 Motomachi Plant begins production.

1962 Joint Declaration of Labor and Management is signed.

1965 Toyota wins the Deming Application Prize for quality control.

1966 The Corolla is launched; business partnership with Hino Motors Ltd. begins.

1967 Business partnership with Daihatsu Motor Co., Ltd. begins.

1974 Toyota Foundation is established.

1975 The prefabricated housing business begins.

1982 Toyota Motor Co., Ltd. and Toyota Motor Sales Co., Ltd. are merged into Toyota Motor Corporation.

1984 Joint venture with General Motors (New United Motor Manufacturing, Inc.) begins production in the USA.

1988 Toyota Motor Manufacturing, USA, Inc. (present TMMK) begins production.

1989 The Lexus brand is launched in the USA.

1992 Toyota Motor Manufacturing (United Kingdom) Ltd. begins production.

1997 The Prius is launched as the world's first mass-produced hybrid car.

1999 Cumulative domestic production reaches 100 million vehicles.

2000 Sichuan Toyota Motor Co., Ltd. begins production in China.

2001 Toyota Motor Manufacturing France S.A.S. begins production in France.

2002 Toyota enters Formula One World Championship; Tianjin Toyota Motor Co., Ltd. begins production in China.

2004 The Toyota Partner Robot is publicly unveiled.

2005 The Lexus brand is introduced in Japan.

2008 Worldwide Prius sales top 1 million mark.

2010 Worldwide Prius sales top 2 million mark; Toyota and Tesla Motors agree on joint EV development.

MANUFACTURING AND SALESTokyo — TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION (TMC) announced today that global cumulative sales of Toyota hybrid vehicles have topped the 1 million mark, with approximately 1,047,000 units sold worldwide as of May 31, 20071.

Toyota launched the Prius—the world's first mass-produced hybrid vehicle—in Japan in 1997 and began selling it in North America, Europe and elsewhere in 2000.

The second-generation Prius, equipped with the Toyota Hybrid System II, was introduced in 2003 with an emphasis on delivering both environmental performance and power.  Over time, Toyota has expanded the use of its hybrid system to minivans, SUVs, rear-wheel-drive sedans and other vehicles.  Hybrid vehicles have been enjoying good sales both in Japan and in over 40 countries and regions around the world, particularly North America. 

Toyota began overseas production of hybrid vehicles in Changchun, China in 2005 and in Kentucky in the United States in 2006.

Toyota has calculated that as of April 30, 2007, worldwide sales of its hybrid vehicles2 since 1997 have greatly contributed to reductions in CO2 emissions, which are considered a cause of global warming, by producing approximately 3.5 million fewer tons3 of CO2 compared with the same class gasoline-powered vehicles of similar size and driving performance.

Toyota has positioned environmental responses as a priority management issue, and as such has made a

concerted effort to popularize hybrid systems.  It will actively continue to find ways to utilize the system's high degree of applicability to double its hybrid lineup and will aim to achieve annual sales of 1 million units in the early part of the 2010s.

1. Based on TMC data2. Excluding the Coaster Hybrid EV, Dyna Hybrid, Toyoace Hybrid and Quick Delivery 2003. Number of registered vehicles   distance traveled   fuel costs (test cycle for each country)   CO2 conversion factor

Toyota Hybrid Vehicle Sales (including Lexus; based on TMC data) (Unit = 1,000 vehicles)

  1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002

Japan 0.3 17.7 15.3 12.5 18.5 20.0

Overseas - - - 6.5 18.5 21.4

Total 0.3 17.7 15.3 19.0 36.9 41.3

2003 2004 2005 2006Jan. – May

2007Cumulative

Total

27.2 68.7 58.5 72.4 33.5 344.6

26.1 66.0 176.4 240.1 147.5 702.4

53.3 134.7 234.9 312.5 181.0 1,047.0

Cumulative Sales of Main Toyota Hybrid Passenger Vehicles (including Lexus; based on TMC data)(Unit = 1,000 vehicles)

 Prius

Estima Hybrid

Alphard Hybrid

Harrier Hybrid

(RX400h)

Kluger Hybrid

(Highlander Hybrid)

GS450hCamry Hybrid

LS600h / LS600hL

Japan 256.5 41.4 21.0 12.3 3.4 2.7 - 0.5

Overseas 501.1 - - 73.0 63.6 6.5 58.3 -

Total 757.6 41.4 21.0 85.2 67.0 9.3 58.3 0.5

Toyota Hybrid Vehicle Chronology (including Lexus)

Year Month Milestones

1997 Mar. Unveiling of the Toyota Hybrid System (THS)

  Aug. Coaster Hybrid EV launched (Japan only)

  Dec. Prius launched

2000 Nov. Cumulative Prius sales top 50,000 vehicles

2001 Jun. Estima Hybrid launched (Japan only)

  Aug. Crown Mild Hybrid launched (Japan only)

2002 Mar. Cumulative hybrid vehicle sales top 100,000 mark

  Aug. Cumulative Prius sales top 100,000 vehicles

2003 Apr. Unveiling of the Toyota Hybrid System II (THSII)

  Jul. Alphard Hybrid launched (Japan only)

  Sep. Prius completely redesigned

  Nov. Dyna Hybrid and Toyoace Hybrid launched (Japan only)

2005 Mar. Harrier Hybrid (RX400h) and Kluger Hybrid (Highlander Hybrid) launched in Japan

  Oct. Cumulative hybrid vehicle sales top 500,000 mark

  Dec. Prius production commenced at Sichuan FAW Toyota Motor Co., Ltd. in China

2006 Mar. GS450h launched in Japan

  Apr. Cumulative Prius sales top 500,000 vehicles

  May Camry Hybrid launched (excluding Japan)

  Jun. Estima Hybrid completely redesigned (Japan only)

  Oct.Camry Hybrid production commenced at Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Kentucky, Inc. in the U.S.; Quick Delivery 200 launched (Japan only)

2007 MayCumulative hybrid vehicle sales top 1 million mark;LS600h / LS600hL launched

OverviewCompany Name Toyota Motor Corporation

President and RepresentativeDirector

Akio Toyoda

Company Address  

Head Office1 Toyota-Cho, Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture 471-8571, JapanPhone: (0565) 28-2121

Tokyo Head Office1-4-18 Koraku, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 112-8701, JapanPhone: (03) 3817-7111

Nagoya Office4-7-1 Meieki, Nakamura-ku, Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture 450-8711, JapanPhone: (052) 552-2111

Date founded August 28, 1937

Capital 397.05 billion yen (as of March 31, 2010)

Shareholders Shareholder Composition

Fiscal Year From April 1 to March 31 of the following year

Main Business Activities Motor Vehicle Production and Sales

Business Sites Information on Business Sites

Number of employees (Total in affiliated companies)

320,590

Region / Country

Company Name Start of Operations

Number of Employees

Main Products Toyota Vehicle Production

(1= 1,000units)

North America

Canada

Canadian Autoparts Toyota Inc. (CAPTIN)

Feb. 1985 292 Aluminum wheels –

Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada Inc. (TMMC)

Nov. 1988 5,919Corolla, Matrix, RX350, RAV4 320

U.S.A.

TABC, Inc. Nov. 1971 533

Catalytic converters, steering columns, stamped parts

–

Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Kentucky, Inc. (TMMK)

May 1988 7,487

Camry, Camry Hybrid, Avalon, Venza

348

Engines –

Catalytic Component Products, Inc. (CCP)

April 1991 28 Catalytic converters

–

Bodine Aluminum, Inc

Jan. 1993 947 Aluminum castings

–

Toyota Motor Manufacturing, West Virginia, Inc. (TMMWV)

Nov. 1998 1,124 Engines, transmissions

–

Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Indiana, Inc. (TMMI)

Feb. 1999 4,204Sequoia, Highlander, Sienna

108

Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Alabama, Inc. (TMMAL)

April 2003 796 Engines –

Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Texas, Inc. (TMMTX)

Nov. 2006 2,415 Tundra 86

Subaru of Indiana Automotive, Inc. (SIA)

April 2007* 3,184 Camry 88

Latin America

Argentina Toyota Argentina S.A. (TASA)

March 1997 3,105 Hilux, Fortuner (SW4)

62

Brazil Toyota do Brasil Ltda. (TDB)

May 1959 3,306 Corolla, Hilux underbody parts

64

Mexico

Toyota Motor Manufacturing de Baja California S .de R.L.de C.V. (TMMBC)

Sept. 2004 743

Tacoma 42

Truck beds –

VenezuelaToyota de Venezuela Compania Anonima (TDV)

Nov. 1981 2,163Corolla, Fortuner, Hilux 13

Europe

Czech Republic

Toyota Peugeot Citroën Automobile Czech, s.r.o. (TPCA) *

Feb. 2005 3,364 Aygo 100

FranceToyota Motor Manufacturing France S.A.S. (TMMF)

Jan. 2001 3,732Yaris (Vitz) 208

Engines –

Poland

Toyota Motor Manufacturing Poland SP.zo.o. (TMMP)

April 2002 2,078 Engines, transmissions

–

Toyota Motor Industries Poland SP.zo.o. (TMIP)

March 2005 716 Engines –

Portugal Toyota Caetano Portugal, S.A.(TCAP)

Aug. 1968 340 Dyna, Semibon –

TurkeyToyota Motor Manufacturing Turkey Inc. (TMMT)

Sept. 1994 2,894Corolla Verso, Auris 72

U.KToyota Motor Manufacturing (UK) Ltd. (TMUK)

Sept. 1992 4,043Avensis, Auris 127

Engines –

Russia

Limited Liability Company "TOYOTA MOTOR MANUFACTURING RUSSIA"(TMMR)

Dec. 2007 774 Camry –

Africa

KenyaAssociated Vehicle Assemblers Ltd. (AVA)

Aug. 1977 254 Land Cruiser –

South Africa

Toyota South Africa Motors (Pty) Ltd.

June 1962 7,343 Corolla, Hiace,Hilux,

103

(TSAM)

Fortuner, Dyna

Closed coupled converter, exhaust manifold

–

Asia

China

Tianjin Jinfeng Auto Parts Co., Ltd. (TJAC) Oct. 1997 385

Steering assembly, propeller shafts

–

Tianjin Fengjin Auto Parts Co., Ltd. (TFAP) May 1998 763

Constant velocity joints, axles, differentials

–

Tianjin FAW Toyota Engine Co., Ltd. (TFTE)

July 1998 1,898 Engines –

Tianjin Toyota Forging Co., Ltd. (TTFC)

Jan. 1999 235 Forged parts –

Tianjin FAW Toyota Motor Co., Ltd. (TFTM)

Oct. 2002 12,407Vios, Corolla, Crown, Reiz, RAV4

383

FAW Toyota (Changchun) Engine Co., Ltd. (FTCE)

Dec. 2004 783 Engines –

Toyota FAW (Tianjin) Dies Co., Ltd. (TFTD)

Dec. 2004 216 Stamping dies for vehicles

–

GAC Toyota Engine Co., Ltd. (GTE)

Jan. 2005 1,300 Engines, engine parts

–

Sichuan FAW Toyota Motor Co., Ltd. (SFTM)

Dec. 2000 2,374

Coaster, Land Cruiser, Land Cruiser Prado, Prius

5

GAC Toyota Motor Co., Ltd. (GTMC)

May 2006 6,321 Camry, Yaris, Highlander

210

Taiwan Kuozui Motors, Ltd. Jan. 1986 3,361

Camry, Corolla, WISH, Vios, Yaris, Innova, Dyna

91

Engines, stamped parts

–

India Toyota Kirloskar Motor Private Ltd.(TKM)

Dec. 1999 4,433 Corolla, Innova, Fortuner

51

Toyota Kirloskar Auto Parts Private Ltd.(TKAP)

July 2002 1,050Axles, propeller shafts, transmissions

–

Indonesia

PT. Toyota Motor Manufacturing Indonesia (TMMIN)

May 1970 5,069

Innova, Fortuner, Dyna, Avanza

68

Engines –

P.T. Astra Daihatsu Motor(ADM)

2004* 7,790 Avanza 111

Malaysia

Assembly Services Sdn. Bhd. (ASSB)

Feb. 1968 2,516

Vios, Hilux, Innova, Fortuner, Hiace

50

Engines –

Perodua Manufacturing Sdn. Bhd. (PMSB)

2005* 7,183 Avanza 11

Pakistan Indus Motor Company Ltd.(IMC)

March 1993 1,879 Corolla, Hilux 38

Philippines

Toyota Motor Philippines Corp. (TMP)

Feb. 1989 1,421 Innova, Vios 21

Toyota Autoparts Philippines Inc. (TAP) Sept. 1992 1,375

Transmissions, constant velocity joints

–

Thailand

Toyota Motor Thailand Co., Ltd. (TMT)

Dec. 1964 12,651

Corolla, WISH, Camry, Camry Hybrid, Vios, Yaris, Hilux, Fortuner

435

Toyota Auto Body Thailand Co., Ltd.(TABT)

May 1979 – Stamped parts –

Siam Toyota Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (STM)

July 1989 2,251Engines, engine parts –

VietnamToyota Motor Vietnam Co., Ltd.(TMV)

Aug. 1996 1,408Camry, Corolla, Vios, Innova, Hiace, Fortuner

28

Oceania

Australia Toyota Motor Corporation Australia

April 1963 4,586 Camry, Camry Hybrid

97

Ltd. (TMCA) Engines –

Middle East

Bangladesh Aftab Automobiles Ltd.

June 1982 83 Land Cruiser –

Number of distributorsRegion Distributors

North America 3

Latin America 43

Europe 29

Africa 49

Asia (excluding Japan) 15

Oceania 14

Middle East 17

Overseas total 170

Regional Headquarters

Region/Country Name Establishment

Activities

North America

U.S.A.

Toyota Motor North America, Inc. （TMA） March 1996

Liaison, public relations and survey activities throughout North America

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc. （TEMA）

April 2006R&D and overall supervision of manufacturing in North America

Europe Belgium Toyota Motor Europe NV/SA (TME)

Oct. 2005 Coordination of Toyota's European business

Asia

SingaporeToyota Motor Asia Pacific Pte Ltd. (TMAP-MS)

July 1990Parts supply to all ASEAN countries and sales support for marketing in Asia

Thailand

Toyota Motor Asia Pacific Engineering and Manufacturing Co., Ltd.* (TMAP-EM)

Sep. 2003

Development and evaluation efforts for locally produced vehicles, as well as operational support for Toyota production affiliates in Asia, Oceania and the Middle East

Toyota Group

Company NameEstablishment Main products/activities

Capital(¥ million)

Toyota Industries Corporation Nov. 1926

Manufacture and sales of spinning and weaving machines, industrial vehicles and automobiles; logistics

80,462

Aichi Steel Corporation March 1940Manufacture and sales of specialty steel, forged steel products and electromagnetic parts

25,016

JTEKT Corporation Jan. 1921 Manufacture and sales of machine tools, auto parts and housing equipment

36,854

Toyota Auto Body Co., Ltd.

Aug. 1945 Manufacture of auto and special vehicle bodies and parts

10,371

Toyota Tsusho Corporation July 1948

Business transactions related to various items in Japan and between foreign countries, import and export

64,936

Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. June 1949 Manufacture and sales of auto parts and household appliances

45,049

DENSO CORPORATION Dec. 1949

Manufacture and sales of electrical components for automobiles and other applications, air conditioning equipment and general appliances and electrical appliances

187,457

Toyota Boshoku Corporation May 1950

Manufacture and sales of vehicle interior parts, filters and power train mechanical parts and textiles

8,400

Towa Real Estate Co., Ltd.

Aug. 1953 Owning, managing, buying, selling and renting out land, management and rental

23,750

Toyota Central Research and Development Laboratories, Incorporated

Nov. 1960 Fundamental research and testing for technical development for the Toyota Group

3,000

Kanto Auto Works, Ltd. April 1946 Manufacture of automobiles and of equipment and materials for housing construction

6,850

Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd. June 1949Manufacture and sales of rubber, plastic and urethane products, semiconductor related products, electronic products and adhesives

28,027

Hino Motors, Ltd. May 1942Manufacture and sales of large trucks, buses, small commercial vehicles, passenger vehicles, engines and spare parts

72,717

Daihatsu Motor, Co., Ltd. March. 1907 Manufacture and sales of automobiles, specialty vehicles and parts

28,404

Toyota Housing Corporation

Apr. 2003 Planning, sales, construction and after-sales service of housing

7,400

Major Shareholders (Top 10 Largest Shareholders)

Names

Number of shares held(thousands of shares)

Japan Trustee Services Bank, Ltd. 355,468

Toyota Industries Corporation 201,195

The Master Trust Bank of Japan, Ltd. 191,402

Nippon Life Insurance Company 130,469

State Street Bank and Trust Company 87,827

Trust & Custody Services Bank, Ltd. 86,649

The Bank of New York Mellon as Depositary Bank for Depositary Receipt Holders 79,850

Tokio Marine & Nichido Fire Insurance Co., Ltd. 77,431

Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Co, Ltd. 65,166

DENSO CORPORATION 58,678

(As of March 31, 2010)

Five Main Principles of Toyoda

Sakichi Toyoda,

Founder of Toyota

Always be faithful to your duties, thereby contributing to the company and to

the overall good.

Always be studious and creative, striving to stay ahead of the times.

Always be practical and avoid frivolousness.

Always strive to build a homelike atmosphere at work that is warm and

friendly.

Always have respect for spiritual matters, and remember to be grateful at all

times.

Market / Toyota Sales and Production

North America

Latin America

Europe

Africa

Asia

Oceania

Executives

Chairman and Representative Director Fujio Cho

Vice Chairman and Representative Director Katsuaki Watanabe Kazuo Okamoto

President and Representative Director Akio Toyoda

Executive Vice President and Representative Director

Takeshi Uchiyamada Yukitoshi Funo

Atsushi Niimi Shinichi Sasaki

Yoichiro Ichimaru Satoshi Ozawa

Senior Managing Director

Nobuyori Kodaira Akira Okabe

Shinzo Kobuki Akira Sasaki

Mamoru Furuhashi Iwao Nihashi

Tadashi Yamashina Takahiko Ijichi

Tetsuo Agata Masamoto Maekawa

Yasumori Ihara Takahiro Iwase

Yoshimasa Ishii Takeshi Shirane

Mitsuhisa Kato  

Director Yoshimi Inaba Nampachi Hayashi

Corporate Auditors

Yoshikazu Amano Chiaki Yamaguchi

Masaki Nakatsugawa Yoichi Kaya*

Yoichi Morishita* Akishige Okada*

Kunihiro Matsuo*  

Managing Officers Tatsuya Kaneko Masanao Tomozoe

Real C. Tanguay Takahiro Fujioka

Hirofumi Muta Shigeki Suzuki

Katsutada Masumoto Yasushi Kohara

Shigeru Hayakawa Hisayuki Inoue

Hiroji Onishi Keiji Masui

Kenji Miura Kiyotaka Ise

Didier Leroy Hiroyuki Yokoyama

Koei Saga Shigeki Terashi

Takuo Matsui Norihiko Arai

Soichiro Okudaira Hiroyuki Ochiai

Yasuo Kawada Naoki Miyazaki

James E. Lentz Masahiro Kato

Kenji Suzuki Mitsuhiro Sonoda

Yoshihiko Matsuda Masashi Isogai

Shunichi Konishi Hiroshi Miyata

Koichi Sugihara Kazuhiro Miyauchi

Takuo Sasaki Satoru Mouri

Hiroyoshi Yoshiki Osamu Nagata

Moritaka Yoshida Yoichi Inoue

Steve St.Angelo Johan van Zyl

Kunihiko Ogura Kazuhiro Kobayashi

Kazuo Ohara Shuichi Koyama

Shigeki Tomoyama Satoshi Takae

Kazuya Inagaki Tokuo Fukuichi

Toyota's Strategy for Environmental Technologies

Toyota takes measures in environmental issues surrounding vehiclesDue to the global development of the industry and technology in the 20th century,

increased production of vehicles and the growing population resulted in massive

consumption of fossil fuels. Today we face three challenges regarding environmental

and energy issues, which are finding an alternative energy source as opposed to oil,

reducing CO2 emissions, and preventing air pollution.

Although the demand for oil alternatives, such as gas fuels, electricity, and hydrogen

may grow, each alternative energy source has its disadvantages. Oil is currently the

main source of automotive fuel, but further research and development of alternative

energy in the future may bring change. Various powertrains, such as those found in

Plug in Hybrid vehicles, electric vehicles and fuel cell vehicles, will be required in

order to use diversified types of fuels.

At Toyota, we will continue to develop various vehicles, along with our emphasis of

conventional vehicles and hybrid vehicles as fundamental core technology while

pursuing further advancement. Based on these core technologies, Toyota will

develop next-generation vehicles utilizing alternative fuels such as gas fuel,

electricity and hydrogen.

Toyota takes measures in environmental issues surrounding vehicles

For more improvements in efficiency, Toyota proactively manages powertrain

efficiency, reduces vehicle load, and controls energy management by integration of

fuel-saving technologies such as charge control, idling stop etc..

In Pursuit of the Ultimate Eco-car

Toyota has a long history of continuous improvement when it comes to conventional

engines, including lean-burn gasoline engines, direct injection gasoline engines and

common rail direct-injection diesel engines, as well as engines modified to use

alternative fuels, such as compressed natural gas (CNG) or electricity (for Electric

Vehicle). In December 2002, we launched limited sales of the Toyota FCHV, a Fuel

Cell Vehicle that runs on high-pressure hydrogen.

Engineers may disagree about which fuel or car propulsion system is best, but they

do agree that hybrid technology is the core for eco-car development. We develop

these key technologies in-house to reduce costs and rapidly commercialize their

application.

Aiming for a Society with No Traffic AccidentsToyota utilizes the trinity or considers following the 3 pillars: "Humans / Cars / Traffic

Environment" to implement the mobile society's ultimate goal, "zero casualties from

traffic accidents."

Traffic Safety Education Activities

Toyota has emphasized traffic safety education since the 1960s.Toyota offers safety driving lecture sessions for drivers and traffic safety education activities for kindergarten children, nursery school toddlers and teenagers. Other education activities such as "Hands-on Traffic Safety Events" and the "Toyota Traffic Safety Campaign" have been held for a wide range of the population.

More than 100 million illustrated traffic safety books for kindergarten children and nursery school toddlers have been given away since Toyota started distributing them in 1969.

Additionally, traffic safety education activities are being expanded by the utilization of connections with Toyota's establishments overseas.

Find out more about Toyota's Traffic Safety Education Activities

Pursuit for Vehicle Safety

Toyota has been implementing "safety" measures to help create safer vehicles. Toyota analyzes the causes of the accident and passenger injuries by using various accident investigation data. These accidents are reenacted in various simulations to create counter-plan technologies. In addition, experiments on an actual full-scale vehicle are conducted before launching the vehicle. Afterwards, the effectiveness of the technologies is inspected by assessing any accidents that might occur. We strive to learn from actual accidents to continue to meet industry's ever higher standards in safety.

The Creation of a Safe Traffic Environment

Toyota actively works with the Japanese Government toward implementing a safe traffic environment and to help reduce the number of traffic accidents by participating in the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association. Recently, a policy was proposed with the fundamental idea of having "all of the traffic participants coexist with peace of mind" and emphasized more "traffic safety provisioning implementation that is from the point of view of people-oriented."Furthermore, Toyota will be actively participating and working with the Japanese Government to help enact fundamental traffic safety plans.

Toyota will continue to support suitable traffic environment construction and will validate its outcome by continuing the advancement of research. To achieve a revolutionary safe transportation system, unity between a car and the transportation environment is critical. Toyota is actively taking part in helping to achieve this goal.

TOYOTA'S ITS VisionOne of the objectives Toyota has set is "to create vehicles and a mobility society in

which people can live with a sense of safety, peace of mind, and comfort".

Toyota's approach to achieve this objective is to balancing the twin visions of

"Zeronize" and "Maximize" at a high level. Toyota's fundamental principle for

technological development to pursue these twin visions is the concept of "TODAY for

TOMORROW – think to the future and take action right now."

"Zeronize" symbolizes the vision and philosophy of our persistent efforts in

minimizing negative aspects vehicles have such as environmental impact, traffic

congestion and traffic accidents, while "Maximize" symbolizes the vision and

philosophy of our persistent efforts in maximizing the positive aspects vehicles have

such as fun, delight, excitement and comfort that people seek in vehicles. Toyota is

already proceeding with efforts to balance these twin visions.

Toyota is not only developing and putting into practical use passive safety systems

aimed at reducing collision injuries, but also advanced active safety systems that

help foresee collisions and alert drivers, while offering superior maneuverability at

the same time.

In terms of the environment, Toyota has commercialized vehicles such as the Prius

hybrid vehicle, Lexus HS250h, SAI, and Prius plug-in hybrid vehicle that achieve

superior driving performance, in addition to high fuel efficiency and low exhaust

emissions.

However, besides developing technologies, the use of ITS, which is a comprehensive

approach for "people," "vehicles," and "the traffic environment," is required from now

on. Toyota believes that the ideal scenario is to achieve sustainable mobility in the

three areas of safety, the environment, and comfort, while balancing the twin visions

of "Zeronize" and "Maximize" at a high level.

TOYOTA for TOMORROW

Toyota must foresee future needs, consider our responsibilities as auto an

manufacture, and take proactive steps that benefit both our customers and society.

This expresses Toyota's fundamental principle for technological development.

"Zeronize" & "Maximize"

Toyota is striving to minimize negative factors such as environmental degradation

and traffic accidents, while at the same time maximizing positive factor such as fun,

excitement, and comfort. This is Toyota's vision for developing products and

technologies.