The Prius That Shook.. - VFAQ Prius Site

and was manufacturing units at the newly constructed
Shimoyama Plant (Miyoshi-cho, Aichi Prefecture). By
improving all models to meet the new U.S. regulations,
Toyota managed to get ahead of American auto makers in
the critical field of emissions control.
Eiji Toyoda however, who was President at the time,
constantly took a low key, reserved approach by saying
"Our emission technology is still under testing and has
durability problems; there will be a few more years before it
can be sent to the market." As a result, the public felt that
Toyota was out of step with society's concern over the
environment. As an engineer, Eiji Toyoda felt that something
technologically incomplete should not be presented. The
company's position of respecting "action before words" was
seriously misunderstood at the time.
In the United States, when a car's fuel economy fails to
meet a certain level, the car is levied a gas-guzzler tax.
Toyota had been making steady efforts in improving the
fuel economy of cars. As Executive Vice President Wada
boasts, "Toyota cars have never been the subject of gas-
guzzler taxes, because even the larger-size models have
exceptional fuel economy."
The "Toyota Earth Charter" was founded in 1992.
This was a specific action index of Toyota's social
contribution and environmental preservation efforts in
every stage of business from design, production, and sales to
disposal. These efforts were purely internal, however, and
beyond what was absolutely necessary, Toyota never
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