Mini-Series Tells History of African Americans and the Auto Industry

A three-part mini-documentary released today by Toyota recounts the history of African Americans in the automobile industry. It highlights how African Americans helped shape the auto industry, the industry's positive socioeconomic impact on black families, and the continuing need to promote diversity within the industry.

The series includes interviews with Wil James, former president of Toyota's Georgetown assembly plant, Frank Washington, an automotive and civil rights journalist who has covered the industry for over twenty years, and Damon Lester, president of the National Association of Minority Automobile Dealers.

Here are parts 2 and 3 on this last day of Black History Month.

Mini-Series Tells History of African Americans and the Auto Industry

A three-part mini-documentary released today by Toyota recounts the history of African Americans in the automobile industry. It highlights how African Americans helped shape the auto industry, the industry's positive socioeconomic impact on black families, and the continuing need to promote diversity within the industry.

The series includes interviews with Wil James, former president of Toyota's Georgetown assembly plant, Frank Washington, an automotive and civil rights journalist who has covered the industry for over twenty years, and Damon Lester, president of the National Association of Minority Automobile Dealers.


Excerpts:

Wil James: "I had a passion, and that was around diversity and inclusion…how can you expect women and people of color to feel truly, fully engaged in an environment where they are not in the places where the discussions and decisions are being made…Now, diversity and inclusion is a pretty significant part of what Toyota is. Our entire company is a far, far better place because we have been able to have those kinds of discussions."

Frank Washington: [When African Americans left the south as part of The Great Migration] "the auto industry is what they were coming to…Ten different states passed anti-discrimination laws in the 1940s. So, the glass ceiling was being raised - maybe not much, but a little bit…. They weren't necessarily living from paycheck to paycheck, they had money to spend, they could participate fully in the American economy. Now a lot of that was fueled by the industry… It sounds corny, but there was an air of freedom that they had never known before."

Damon Lester: "Black dealers have faced discrimination back then and even today. There are a lot of black dealers today that can't advertise that they own their stores… The role that black dealers play today is as pillars of the community… you look at all the direct and indirect support that a dealership provides within that community… it plays an intricate role creating a circle of life of how cash circulates through the community."

All-New Lexus UX Crossover Will Highlight the 2018 Geneva Motor Show

•Lexus to present the world premiere of the new UX crossover on March 6th
•European premiere of the new RX L
•European premiere of the Lexus LF-1 Limitless concept
•Celebration of the 10th anniversary of Lexus F with the new Special Edition RC F coupe

Lexus announced today that it will present the world premiere of its new UX crossover at the Geneva Motor Show on March 6th. The all-new compact crossover will be the fifth member of the brand’s extensive lineup of luxury utility vehicles.
 
The luxury brand will also host the European premiere of the RX L, a new version of Lexus’ best-selling RX crossover, featuring three rows of seats. This new model provides comfortable accommodation for up to seven people in its cabin, with a flexible seating arrangement that also allows for excellent load-carrying flexibility. The RX L’s versatile interior has been achieved by extending the overall length by 4.3-inches while maintaining the crossover’s stylish, coupe-like profile.
 
In addition, the Lexus LF-1 Limitless concept, first revealed at the Detroit motor show in early January, will be making its European debut.
 
Other Lexus highlights at the 2018 Geneva Motor Show will include the Special Edition RC F coupe, created to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Lexus F.
 
The Lexus Press Conference with the new Head of Lexus Europe, Pascal Ruch, will take place on March 6th at 10am at the Lexus stand in hall 4.

Lexus Tops J.D. Power Vehicle Dependability Study for Seventh Consecutive Year

For the seventh consecutive year, Lexus ranked highest among all luxury nameplates in the 2018 J.D. Power U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS).  Including Lexus’ top spot in the annual study, four Lexus and two Toyota vehicles were recognized as segment award winners, bringing the total number of awards to seven, the most among all automakers.  

Additionally, five Lexus and Toyota models ranked second or third in their respected segments.
 
For Lexus, the RX earned its ninth VDS award; the GS earned its sixth VDS award; and the ES earned the Compact Premium Car award for the seventh straight year.
 
Lexus awards:
 

• Ranked highest among luxury brands for the seventh consecutive year

 
Lexus segment winners:

Model	Segment	PP100
RX	Midsize Premium SUV	83
GS	Midsize Premium Car	89
ES	Compact Premium Car	91
CT	Small Premium Car	99

 
 
For Toyota, the Prius received its eighth VDS award and the Tacoma received its fourth VDS award. 
 
Toyota segment winners:

Model	Segment	PP100
Prius	Compact Car	98
Tacoma	Midsize Pickup	114

 
PP100 = Number of problems experienced per 100 vehicles
 
The J.D. Power VDS measures the number of owner-reported problems during the third year of vehicle ownership. For the 2018 VDS, respondents were surveyed about their 2015 model-year vehicles. Overall dependability with a lower score reflects higher quality. 

Mobilizing for Seniors: Toyota Begins Program with Two North Texas-Based Meals on Wheels to Help Serve More in Need

Toyota Sharing Process Improvement Knowledge to Optimize Meal Production and Delivery

Jointly Developing Technology to Improve Operations, Volunteerism, Healthcare Outcomes

In the United States, every day more than 10,000 adults turn 65, and one in six struggles with hunger. In the Dallas-Fort Worth Metro area, which has the 10th largest senior population in the U.S., 9% of seniors live below the poverty line and nearly 25,000 households headed by seniors have limited mobility. It’s an issue that Toyota, Collin County Meals on Wheels and VNA Texas – Meals on Wheels, are tackling head on.

Toyota is working with both organizations to serve more seniors - the hidden hungry, homebound, aging and unable to access resources like food pantries and grocery stores.  Part of the effort includes sharing principles of the Toyota Production System to find improvements in their daily work, including meal production, delivery and volunteer recruitment.
 
Toyota also deployed a team to advise on the development of technology solutions to promote efficient meal delivery, improve volunteer engagement, and maximize data collection, including health data. The team is working with VNA Texas - Meals on Wheels to build a web and app-based platform, funded through the Lyda Hill Foundation and Toyota. The technology is expected to launch later this year and offer scalability for other Meals on Wheels organizations nationwide.

“Through technology we can help improve the quality of life for seniors, bringing critical services and opportunities to their doors,” said Ryan Klem, Toyota Social Innovation.
 
Throughout North Texas and across the nation, the number of individuals who rely on Meals on Wheels for their daily nutritional needs is growing. In Dallas County alone, there are more than 6,000 seniors waiting to receive meal service.

“Our aim is to create a solution that can be shared with other Meals on Wheels organizations throughout the country, helping to address the growing need for their services while informing care,” Klem added.
 
Information gathered during wellness checks will be entered in an app, assisting with timely client follow up and helping to connect clients to vital services. Center for Applied Health Research, part of the Baylor Scott & White Research Institute, is helping to inform and evaluate the program, analyzing the data to help improve the health and wellbeing of vulnerable seniors.
 
 “As a health care organization with an 84-year history, VNA is committed to incorporating technology to provide comprehensive care to our growing senior population. Toyota is an ideal partner to leverage their vast expertise with innovative solutions to increase mobility for our homebound neighbors,” said Katherine Krause, president and CEO, VNA Texas. “The work we are doing with Toyota will enhance and expand our partnerships with health care entities to address the social determinants of health in North Texas.”

Toyota also stepped in to join the volunteer ranks. Starting next month, Toyota will deliver meals once a week with Meals on Wheels Collin County to individuals in Plano, part of a year-long volunteer engagement effort.

“This joint effort is a game changer for us,” said Zella Tyson, CEO, Meals on Wheels Collin County. “It allows us to meet needs faster, allocate resources more effectively, and ultimately better serve our current and future clients.”

Toyota Releases North American Environmental Report

Goal to Create a More Sustainable Future for Society, Business and the Planet Driven by its Environmental Challenge 2050
 
Toyota Leverages Olympic Advertising to Communicate Commitment to Saving Winter

Combating major environmental issues facing the global community, such as climate change, water scarcity, resource depletion and habitat loss, in a widespread, meaningful way often starts with small steps.
 
Toyota affirmed its commitment to meaningful environmental contributions through a television commercial showcasing iconic moments in Olympic and Paralympic history. The commercial, titled “Frozen,” aims to further spark the conversation on global warming and the imminent impact that it may have on the beauty, hope and heroes of the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

Guided by Toyota’s Environmental Challenge 2050, the company’s long-term environmental initiative, Toyota is making progress toward a net positive impact on the environment.
 
Comprised of six individual challenges that seek to make Toyota a net positive carbon contributor while enriching the lives of diverse communities, Challenge 2050, is a driving force behind many decisions. The first three challenges focus on carbon and call for completely eliminating—not just reducing— greenhouse gas emissions from all vehicles, operations and supply chain. The fourth challenge addresses water availability and quality, while the fifth and sixth challenges seek to move closer to contributing to a recycling-based society and protecting nature.
 
In the recently published 2017 North American Environmental Report, Toyota outlines positive impacts made across North America. In 2017, Toyota expanded its use of renewable energy with solar installations at an assembly plant in Baja California, Mexico; Toyota’s new North American headquarters campus in Plano, Texas; and a new supplier center in York, Michigan, generating more than 590,000 kilowatt-hours of renewable electricity. Projects at four of Toyota’s North American manufacturing plants resulted in water savings last fiscal year in excess of 43.2 million gallons, equivalent to the annual water use of 394 average American families.
 
 “Our environmental goals are ambitious, but keep us attuned to our ultimate aspiration of contributing to global environmental sustainability,” said Toyota Motor North America Regional Environmental Director, Kevin Butt. “Our success comes from thinking holistically about our vehicles, processes and people and making consistent, incremental improvements through strategic partnerships, education, and sharing our environmental know-how with others.”

Additional highlights from the 2017 North American Environmental Report include the following:

CARBON

• Toyota and Lexus have 14 hybrid electric vehicles on the roads in North America. Hybrid electric means they all use batteries plus one other fuel source, either hydrogen (fuel cell electric hybrid) or gasoline (plug-in electric hybrid or gasoline-electric hybrid).
• An 8.79-megawatt solar array at Toyota’s new Plano headquarters campus produces about one-third of daily electric needs for the campus. It is the largest on-site corporate solar installation among non-utility companies in Texas.
• Project Portal, a hydrogen fuel cell system designed for heavy-duty truck use, is operational at the Los Angeles ports. The fully functioning, heavy-duty truck has the power and torque capacity to conduct port drayage operations while emitting nothing but water vapor.

 
WATER

• An innovative rainwater harvesting system installed at the company’s new headquarters campus in Plano, Texas, is expected to collect more than 11 million gallons of water annually, more than enough to meet the forecasted annual irrigation demand.
• Residents from 4,800 cities across the U.S. pledged to save more than 2.2 billion gallons of water as part of the sixth annual National Mayors Challenge for Water Conservation, presented by Toyota.

 
MATERIALS

• Working with packaging supplier PakFab, Toyota found a way to reuse and recycle obsolete packaging from vehicle model changes. With eight plants adopting this solution, an estimated 13 million pounds of waste is expected to be eliminated annually.
• The paint shop at Toyota’s assembly plant in Blue Springs, Mississippi, eliminated 320,000 pounds of waste by improving the way they manage waterborne paint waste.
• Toyota’s new research and development campus in York, Michigan, recycled 92 percent of the waste generated during construction. That's 461 tons of material put to productive use instead of being disposed of in a landfill.

 
BIODIVERSITY

• Toyota has 12 sites with Conservation Certification from the Wildlife Habitat Council. In 2017, the first two non-manufacturing sites were added to the list: the new R&D center in York, Michigan, and the proving grounds in Phoenix, Arizona.
• Thanks to support from Toyota, the Galapagos archipelago has a state-of-the-art fueling facility that is one of the most advanced and environmentally safe in all of South America.
• Thanks to team members building bird nest boxes, 137 Tree Swallow chicks were born last spring at our Cambridge and Woodstock, Ontario, assembly plants.

 
OUTREACH

• Toyota gave $637,439 in Public Lands Every Day grants and made volunteerism possible at 2,600 National Public Lands Day sites, including 56 sites where 1,755 Toyota team members volunteered.
• In the 2015-2016 school year, the Toyota Evergreen Learning Grounds program, led by Evergreen with support from Toyota Canada and its dealerships, helped 559 schools with their efforts to green their outdoor spaces, engaging 48,245 students and staff.
• With 58 and counting, Toyota and Lexus continue to lead the industry with more dealership facilities certified to LEED® standards in North America than any other auto manufacturer.

 
To view the full report, visit https://www.toyota.com/usa/environmentreport2017/.

The Heart of Puerto Rico

Toyota de Puerto Rico pulls together to help their dealers and each other in the wake of Hurricane Maria

Four months after Hurricane Maria ravaged Puerto Rico, Nancy Navales is on a phone interview talking about the storm’s aftermath.

Her voice seems not just happy, but hopeful.

She uses words like “resilient.” Her colleagues choose descriptors like “heroic” and “spirited.”
And on the other end of that call, from a comfortable chair in an undamaged building, it’s hard to imagine how these words apply to an island nearly destroyed last September.

Hundreds lost their lives. Thousands lost their homes. Months after the storm, traffic lights still don’t work. Countless businesses remain shuttered. On the day of that call, 40 percent of the island was still without power, and that included Navales’ home.

“You start to settle into a new normalcy,” she says. “Everything changes after something like this. But as Puerto Ricans, we bounce back. Ultimately, you get into a rhythm of functioning around these new issues that you face.”

But what comes next? Well, a few hours after that call, power was unexpectedly restored to Navales’ home.

And that’s where the optimism comes in.

The Storm
For 23 years, Navales has been a team member at Toyota de Puerto Rico (TdPR), Toyota’s sales arm on the island, working her way up to her current role of vice president. Like the island itself, Toyota is in her blood.

More than that, the 106 other team members, contingent workers and support staff that make up TdPR are part of her extended family, and she’s part of theirs.

So it shouldn’t be a surprise that, in the most dire circumstances, TdPR’s people joined forces to take on whatever Hurricane Maria left in her wake.

“The storm brought a higher level of anxiety,” says Hector Rivera, TdPR’s director of sales. “I have been amazed by how many people are reaching out to each other. That happens throughout the whole island. The anxiety has bought some good vibes.”

Maria hit on Wednesday, Sept. 20. The next day, a skeleton crew showed up to work at TdPR. That’s right, people came in.

By the next Monday, all departments were represented. Just a week after that, TdPR was running at full strength, even as team members brought their children to work because schools were still closed. In a way, the folks at TdPR were lucky. No team members, contingents or support staff were injured by a storm that claimed more than 500 lives. Further, only a few suffered property loss.

Soon, team members began participating in charity efforts to help the island, handing out Thanksgiving dinner to victims and hosting a party, plus handing out supplies, when a local school reopened.

Still, the people of TdPR needed help. So Toyota’s Emergency Response Program (TERP) provided team members with funds up to the maximum allotted $2,500 to replace essential items, while TdPR pitched in an additional $500 for each person.

Meanwhile, TMNA sent a chartered plane carrying more than 53,000 pounds of supplies to their TdPR brethren.

“Toyota’s DNA is to care for people,” says Rafael Reyes, TdPR’s customer service director. “And this is proof. It’s a very humbling and gratifying experience to work for a company that really cares for their people.”

About two months after Maria, a group of TMNA executives – including CEO Jim Lentz and Senior Vice President, Automotive Operations Bill Fay – visited TdPR to address team members and bring supplies. Fay was blown away by what he saw.

“They’re still coming to work every day,” he says. “Still supporting the dealers and the overall Toyota effort. They’re helping each other out personally, which has been touching all our hearts. They’ve persevered and made a very bad situation a positive one for the company and each other.

Extended Family
Indeed, at the same time, TdPR was trying to track down team members, it was scrambling to contact dealers to assess property damage. And that’s where TdPR shined during the recovery.

TdPR supports 23 dealers on the main island, and two others in the U.S. Virgin Islands, which were also hammered by Maria. And everyone was in uncharted territory. “This was unprecedented,” Reyes says. “This was the worst storm in 80 years. All of our dealers and the people in our office, none of us had seen anything like this.”

Cell phone towers were down, newspapers couldn’t print. Television wasn’t an option. So TdPR placed ads on the single AM radio station still broadcasting to the island, asking dealers to check in at an 800 number.

If they didn’t hear from a dealer, TdPR team members drove through tarnished streets to make contact in person.

“We tried to make a quick assessment of where they were in terms of their people, their buildings, what kind of damage was on the property from the vehicles to everything else related,” Rivera says. “We put together a snapshot of the major damage and the major hurdles we had to clear.”

As expected, the damage was devastating. TdPR’s 25 dealerships suffered an estimated $9 million in building and sign damage.

Financially, TdPR gave dealers some relief.

“We provided some support on parts purchases and collections,” Navales says. “We also advanced them some warranty payments.”

Once the island’s citizens began putting their lives back together, customers began trickling into the dealerships. With most stores running on generators, their service lanes began to fill up with damaged vehicles. Many who lost cars showed up seeking to replace them.

And while pent-up demand is normal after a natural disaster, it speaks to the will of the dealers and their employees that they could handle the rush at the same time they were rebuilding their own lives.

“The day after the storm, our dealers were out there sweeping and doing whatever they needed to be ready to help their customers,” Rivera says.

“The dealer sentiment was ‘I have to open for my employees, and I have to take care of my customers,’” Reyes says. “That mindset enabled them to serve customers almost immediately. Many of them by the Monday after the storm.”

Predictably, September and October sales were among TdPR’s worst ever. But November’s 3,112 in sales were the best since 2006. And that was followed by their best December since 2007, moving 3,076 vehicles.  

Looking Forward
So here we are, nearly five months after Hurricane Maria left Puerto Rico reeling. Life isn’t back to normal yet. No one knows if it ever will be.

But after all this, those words still ring out: Resilient. Heroic. Spirited. Navales, Rivera and Reyes talk of a people that can’t be defeated by a storm. Of a workforce that will do anything to serve customers in the worst of times. Of dealers who understand that their role in the community goes far beyond selling cars.

“It’s been crazy during the last few months and people want to get back to work, want to contribute and engage, want to have fun,” Navales says. “Holidays were celebrated with or without power. Within all that craziness, it’s clear that Puerto Ricans are the most resilient people I know."

Toyota Rolls Out "Start Your Impossible" Global Campaign that Reflects the Olympic and Paralympic Spirit of Encouragement, Challenge and Progress

Commercials to Air During Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018

Created in honor of Toyota’s shift to a mobility company and its eight-year worldwide partnership with The International Olympic and Paralympic Committees, “Start Your Impossible,” Toyota’s first-ever global marketing campaign, will roll out in 27 countries at the start of and through the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018.
 
“Start Your Impossible” shares Toyota’s evolution by highlighting real-life mobility stories of Olympic and Paralympic athletes as well as everyday athletes who demonstrate the values of humility, hard work and never giving up. The campaign marks Toyota’s long-term commitment to support the creation of a more inclusive and sustainable society in which everyone can challenge their impossible through stories of determination as well as through Toyota technologies. The two creative pillars of the multi-platform global campaign include, “inspiration,” which celebrates the human spirit and product “evidence,” showcasing Toyota’s ideas for innovations that can help people move freely.
 
 “Start Your Impossible” commercials include:
 

• “Frozen”: Showcasing iconic moments in Olympic and Paralympic history, “Frozen” aims to further spark the conversation on global warming and the imminent impact that it may have on the beauty, hope and heroes of the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

 

• “Thin Ice”: The human spirit is powerful and irrepressible. Where obstacles appear, exceptional people are ready to face the hurdles. American Olympic figure skater and medalist, Ashley Wagner returns to the ice with the idea that every day is a chance to dance, to move and to float across the ice.

 

• “Lanes of Life”: an optimistic celebration of life’s journey for six Olympic snowboarders: Eva Samková (Czech Republic), Lindsey Jacobellis, (USA), Belle Brockhoff (Australia), Chloé Trespeuch (France), Carle Brenneman (Canada), and Isabel Clark Ribeiro (Brazil).

 

• “Dreams”: The smallest mistake could change an athlete's dream, so could a small mistake on the road. “Dreams” showcases Toyota’s Guardian technology to coach you on the road.

 

• “Magic”: Toyota’s Human Support Robot helps a bedridden young boy.

 

• “Runner”: A man outruns pain, fear and doubt to take the most difficult step of his life.

 

• “Join the Team”: Dedicated to pure celebration of going after what we strive for, an ordinary boy has his moment as an Olympian realizing that with persistence he can soar.

Toyota will also run previously released spots including the :60-second “Good Odds” highlighting the real-life story of Canadian Para alpine skier Lauren Woolstencroft, who overcame tremendous odds to become a legendary Paralympic gold medalist and the :60-second  “Mobility Anthem” featuring mobility stories of individuals, ages 1 to 100, celebrating Toyota’s efforts to make movement better for everyone.  
 
“Toyota believes that ‘mobility’ goes well beyond cars and that movement is a human right. This campaign, and our worldwide partnership with The International Olympic and Paralympic Committees, are a reflection of our commitment to providing freedom of movement for all,” said Ed Laukes, Group Vice President, Toyota Division Marketing, Toyota Motor North America. “"Start Your Impossible" tells the stories of exceptional human strength and triumph.”
 
"“Start Your Impossible” is a global corporate initiative that aims to inspire Toyota employees, partners and customers, and connect them with the company’s core beliefs,” said Noriaki Yamashita, General Manager of Sales & Marketing Support Division, Toyota Motor Corporation.
 
“Start Your Impossible” was created in partnership between Saatchi & Saatchi and Dentsu.
 
For more information about Toyota’s worldwide partnership with The International Olympic and Paralympic Committees, and to learn more about the “Start Your Impossible” campaign, please visit www.mobilityforall.com or Toyota Global YouTube.