Toyota Changes What the World Drives – Prius & DiCaprio

In about 13 years Toyota has gone from a brainstorming session to creating and selling and teaching the world there is another way.

1993 – Toyota initiates the G21 project to develop a small car with better mileage that can be sold anywhere in the world.

1994 – Executive VP Akirhiro Wada insists the car needs to set a new standard for mileage and recommends a hybrid engine.

1995 – The Prius prototype debuts at the Tokyo motor show…but will NOT start. Toyota responds by moving up the production deadline by one year.

1996 – Toyota’s US division wins the design competition and Japan begins the engineering production.

1997 – The first Prius goes on sale in Japan – my friend takes me for a ride

2000 – The first Prius goes on sale in the US.

2001 – Leonardo DiCaprio buys a Prius.

2004 – Five chauffer driven Priuses are used at the Academy Awards.

2005 – Prius US sales exceed 100,000

2010 – Prius US sales exceed 1,000,000.

Toyota is the first car maker to provide a serious alternative to the internal combustion engine since ….well…it’s been a long time.

Toyota does things right.

What do you think?