The Prius That Shook.. - VFAQ Prius Site

satisfaction.
It was Motoyasu Muramatsu of Planning Division II who
was responsible for Prius in this Product Audit
Department. He was an expert who had worked on several
compact cars, such as Tercel and Starlet. The Vehicle
Development Center II Product Audit Department has four
groups according to car size. This organization includes
staff, local technicians, test drivers, and personnel to run
evaluation tests.
At the beginning of 1996, Muramatsu saw Prius for the
first time. The body was not yet complete at the time, so it
had the body from the 1995 Motor Show. He test-drove a
model equipped with a THS prototype on the Higashifuji
Technical Center test course.
car.
At that time, Muramatsu was not yet in charge of the
"If G21's hybrid vehicle goes into mass production,
one of our four groups will be in charge of it. Okay, let's
give it a try, since it seems pretty different." Out of
curiosity as an engineer, he visited Higashifuji with his
staff assistant Motoo Kamiya.
His first surprise came as he sat in the driver's seat. There
was a hand-made computer the size of a barbecue grill in
the back seat. When he opened the trunk, it was filled with
batteries.
He started the engine.
"Hum, Kamiya-kun, this thing moves rather than runs.
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