Toyota

In 2002 Toyota decided to become the world's biggest automaker with a 15% market share. To achieve this, Toyota needed to increase production by 50%. Sold in 170 countries around the world, nearly one in seven of the world's new cars is made by Toyota. Many books have been written about the 'Toyota way'. Their evolutionary 4P model for organizational excellence: Philosophy, People, Process, and Problem Solving.

In 2010 Toyota signed an agreement with Tesla to bring a new, improved Toyota RAV4 EV to the US market in 2012 using a Tesla electric powertrain. The first prototype has already been built and is now undergoing testing.

Toyota was a pioneer of hybrid and fully-electric mass-market vehicles - taking a huge financial risk by developing the first and second-generation Prius at a loss for many years. Around the same time (1997), they also produced the RAV4-EV, which became one of America's best-selling electric vehicles. The first customer was Hollywood actor Ed Begley Jr (pictured).