Toyota's Jim Press addresses gathering of auto industry and electric utility industry delegates in Washington, D.C.
Open Access Article Originally Published: December 11, 2006
NOTE: Mr. Press did not completely follow the prepared text of his speech and EV World has added some of his extemporaneous comments in italics.
Good Morning!... It truly is an honor to address an organization that has done so much to advance our understanding of electric drive technology and the promise it holds for the future.
This week the Toyota family lost one of its most talented engineers and a great human being... Dave Hermance...as many of you know...was killed this week in a plane accident near Los Angeles... As our executive engineer for Advanced Technology Vehicles, Dave was considered by many to be the “American father of the Prius.” He dedicated his life to promoting electric-drive technology... As a result...he earned the respect of the engineering community, policy makers and environmentalists... He will be sorely missed around the world for his numerous contributions to our society and the environment...
Brian [Wynne] and his team have done a super job of putting together a thoughtful program with an all-star line-up of speakers who will address important topics.
The work you do is extremely critical to the future of our planet and I'm proud to play a small roll in these sessions.
This morning I want to discuss the daunting task of encouraging major industry and government cooperation to create a sustainable transportation system that will free the U.S. from the bonds of fossil fuels.
Press highlighted four urgent development issues: poverty, water, climate change, HIV/Aids. He noted that energy is the life blood of growth and emphasized that a corporation's contribution to society will be the telling metric of a successful business of the future.
That's a tall order... But since we're in the shadow of the US Capitol, we couldn't have picked a more appropriate theme...Our timing is pretty good, too.
With the new majority in Congress...some political pundits say we are on the verge of a seismic shift in how Washington views the environment.
So its time to get busy and add our voice and expertise to turn Washington from red and blue...to green.
Some of you may recall that when I spoke to the Electric Vehicle Symposium in 2003...I went out on a limb... Here is what I said, “the Golden Era of Electric Drive Vehicles has dawned and we are on the cusp of a boom in electric drive like the world has never seen.”
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4 comments so far...
11-Dec-2006
40073
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Thank You Mr. Press & Thank You Toyota!
Toyota has been exemplary in offering more hope & more real remedies for a super-ailing world environment than any other leader in the industry. Toyota has blazed a world-caring trail that most of the industry openly rebuffed only a few years back but, ironically must now follow to stay in business.
It took absolute vision & deep commitment from the topmost ranks of Toyota to make this happen. Our world owes a great deal of gratitude to the solemn pledge & commitment Toyota Executives made to hybrid technology; a commitment for which they were sorely ridiculed & yet have unabashedly held prominent for more than a decade. Thank you again, Toyota!
Wayne – http://privatenrg.com
Posted by: Wayne Brown
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12-Dec-2006
40141
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Well in my eyes Toyota is the best. Not only do they make the most reliable automobiles but they went out on a limb to actually SELL (vs Lease) the Prius. Correct they pulled back the RAV4 EV but there were 'other' reasons for this. On top of that they made Lexus, and looking at the new IS250 which is just a great car. Like I always say imagine the IS250 as an electric - I suppose then it will be the ISe or something.
Posted by: Ruan Jurgens
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12-Dec-2006
40143
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The 2007 EPA mileage numbers just are out. This year uses the new and "improved" method of calculating milage. Look at the details of the new method, it's simply designed to make hybrids look bad. This tells you who has REAL power in Washington...Detroit.
Posted by: dursun sakarya
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12-Dec-2006
40156
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Hi Bill:
Another great presentation by Toyota’s Jim Press and thank you for allowing us to view it.
And a counterpoint.
The Prius II has been the Halo car in the US for 3 years. Toyota can ramp up production of the Camry/Corolla contingent to unheard of numbers in a short span of time (snap of a finger even though Corolla’s are in a slight supply situation as I type) yet the Prius II’s output appeared to be controlled to such an extent it was all but unaffordable to the working lower middle class. How many of us have seen $30,000 + Prius loaded to the nine’s with Dealership premium’s attached to their MSRP price tags these past 3 years? The Tax credits were given away to the Toyota dealership family in most cases while average consumer was held hostage to the lack of supply and having to pay far above standard market pricing including MSRP and MSRP + in many cases … all to “Save the World” so to speak. The US won a World War in 4 years yet Toyota could not produce > 100,000 Prius’ a year starting from day 1? From my recollection, the Prius II moved down the same assembly line or was produced in the same plant as the Corolla/Camry in Japan early on and those 2 automobiles can be manufactured in numbers equal to almost .5 million per year including both Japan and the US. Yet still the Prius II supply languished. Toyota seemed to have a problem with Prius II battery or transmission supply … Again, the US ramped up from building cars to tanks, ships, airplanes, bombs and bullets in less then a year back in the early 1940’s yet the Prius II supply languished these past 3 years. I picked up an 03 Corolla back in late 02 just 4 months after launch for $300 over invoice. I could not touch a Prius II from late 03 - 07 for anywhere near this until the last 2 months if I was lucky. Even today there are Toyota dealerships pushing MSRP + type pricing around the country as I type.
And the real reason I am posting. Toyota is on its way to changing the world for the betterment of all I have no doubt. I want to personally thank them for this. I also want to bring to Toyota’s attention the fact the US is running an $8.66 Trillion debt load and a trade deficit with both Japan and China in the 100’s of Billions of $’s per year. If Toyota wants to see the full hybrid tax credit restored (I am sure it will be without any help from me), why may I not also ask of Toyota that there be a 25 + day supply of Prius II’s on dealership lots so the average consumer has the opportunity to purchase a std. Prius II for a real world $20K and receive the just recently defunct full $3,150 tax credit vs. the Toyota dealerships themselves receiving the $3,150 pre Oct. 06 and the $1,575 today in the form of dealership markups and fully loaded Prius II’s hoisted upon the American consumer? If Toyota cannot hold up its end of the bargain of said 25 + day supply of Prius II’s, then they should pay the tax credit back to the government as a form of good will. Our government (we as US citizens) is so far in debt we may never get out and seeing a very profitable corporation the size of Toyota asking for preferential treatment under these circumstances goes against my own better judgment. Even if it is the right thing to do! What is better for the country and our planet, 175,000 - 200,000 Prius II’s on the road in 2007 because the average consumer can afford to pay $17 - 18K after the full tax credit is applied or just 100,000 Prius II’s on the road because of $27,000 + type loaded pricing with the government tax credit really going into the pockets of the Toyota dealerships in the form of markups? I call upon Toyota to step up to the plate so as to place the Prius II into that many more hands for the betterment of all.
Good Luck
Wayne R. Gerdes - CleanMPG.com
Posted by: Wayne Gerdes
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