The Prius That Shook.. - VFAQ Prius Site

Tokyo. Participants who had not been informed of this
staging applauded and watched the procession with many
emotions. As the party went on, the people mingled and
talked about the hardships and the rewards of being
involved in the project for four years.
Oi spoke to Uchiyamada.
"Having done product planning for ten years, I was
too optimistic. I thought that all cars would be the same.
Now, I've learned that there are so many different cars."
"Sure. I never dreamed that I would become a Chief
Engineer to develop such a car, either."
"I think that environmental issues have just begun to
come up. The auto industry is not even a mature industry
yet in that sense, and we have so many more things to deal
with."
"Just with the hybrid vehicle alone, we will be surrounded
by competitors by the time Prius goes through a model-
change. If we lose to those competitors at that point, we will
lose the meaning of launching the Prius before others. We
have to keep on working so that we don't lose. The support
and opinions of our hybrid vehicle users are invaluable
assets that other companies don't have. We have to cherish
these things."
In fact, favorable owner's feelings towards the car and
environmental consciousness among Prius owners are
surprisingly high. There is an Internet homepage called "Prius
Mania" operated by a Prius owner. Many opinions are
exchanged at this site, such as technical
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