Former Toyota Motor Corporation president and chairman Okuda Hiroshi (奥田 碩) has died at the age of 93. During his tenure as president, he promoted the development and rollout of the RAV4 and Prius.
Former Toyota Motor Corporation president Okuda Hiroshi (奥田 碩) has died. His death was reported by AFP, and he was 93.
In 1995, Okuda Hiroshi (奥田 碩) became Toyota's president, the first person from outside the founding family to hold the position in several decades. He strongly promoted the development and sales of the RAV4 sport utility vehicle and the Prius, the world's first mass-produced hybrid vehicle.
The Prius was launched at a time when large-scale deployment of vehicles powered by electricity was considered difficult. Okuda Hiroshi (奥田 碩) also directed the opening of overseas plants, laying the foundation for Toyota's rise to become the world's largest automaker.
In a 1998 interview with The New York Times, Okuda Hiroshi (奥田 碩) said that Toyota, previously regarded as conservative, had sought to adopt a more aggressive stance after he took office. Okuda Hiroshi (奥田 碩) also served as chairman of the Japan Business Federation (Keidanren).