---

Toyota's Cautious Green Strategy

Prius Maker Takes Tentative Stance |
On New Fuel-Sipping Technologies
By JOSEPH B. WHITE
October 23, 2007; Page A12

Toyota City, Japan
Toyota Motor Corp. outlined a more cautious strategy than General Motors Corp. for a new generation of fuel-efficient cars, signaling the differing approaches the world's auto makers are taking to adjust to long-term concerns over oil supplies and climate change.
. . .
Toyota has taken a leading role in the auto industry with surging global sales growth and leading market position for more-fuel-efficient gasoline-electric hybrid vehicles like the Toyota Prius. But GM, with its increasing emphasis on developing markets and its ambitious efforts around electric vehicles, is making an effort to keep its historical role as industry leader.
GM has said it plans to bring an advanced hybrid vehicle called the Chevrolet Volt to the U.S. market by 2010. The Volt would use lithium-ion batteries to operate for as many as 40 miles on electricity alone. GM has promoted the Volt concept and its aggressive timetable as part of a broader effort to burnish its image as a green-technology leader.
GM executives have expressed frustration that Toyota, through the Prius, has overshadowed GM and diverted attention from Toyota's substantial sales of sport-utility vehicles and pickups that in many cases have lower mileage ratings than competing GM models.

---

---

---

---

---