1900:•Horses, oxen and mules are the primary means of transportation in the U.S. The city of New York removes over 10,000 tons of manure from the streets daily. The occasional automobile, powered by electricity, steam or gasoline, plies the streets. City planners hail the newfangled automobile as the answer to urban communities’ pollution problems.

1947:•The Los Angeles Air Pollution Control District forms; this is the first air pollution control board in the nation.

1971: Dealer Paul Megna accepts Ann McDonald’s Morgan Gelding as a trade in for a Toyota Land Cruiser

Newspaper headlines announcing the Air Pollution Control District formation

1952:•Dr. Arie Haagen-Smit of the California Institute of Technology identifies the components of smog. He notes that automobiles are the largest source of hydrocarbons, a main ingredient in smog.

1955:•Federal Air Pollution Control Act passed by Congress.

1960:•California’s population reaches 16 million with nearly 8 million vehicles traveling over 71 billion miles annually.

1961:•California Motor Vehicle State Bureau of Air Sanitation mandates the use of Positive Crankcase Ventilation on automobiles to reduce emissions starting with 1963 models.

Dr. Arie Haagan-Smit

Busy freeway in Los Angeles, California

1965:•Congress passes the U.S. Motor Vehicle Pollution Control Act. This establishes federal emissions standards for automobiles starting with 1968 models.

1963:•The Federal Clean Air Act was passed. This act does not regulate automobiles.•An air pollution inversion in New York leads to 405 deaths.

1966:•Toyota builds the Higashi Fuji Technical Center in Japan to begin initial research into controlling emissions.

Higashi-Fuji Technical Center, Japan

1972: Smoke-filled street in North Birmingham, Alabama

1967:•Toyota becomes the first automobile manufacturer to earn California approval of its emission control system.•The California legislature creates the California Air Resources Board by merging the California Pollution Control Board and the Bureau of Air Sanitation.

1968:•An article written in the 1968 edition of Road Test magazine praises the features of the 1968 Corona’s “anti-smog engine-driven air pump, with manifold air injection,” claiming it is, “the first to be nationally approved.”

1969:•President Nixon establishes the federal Environmental Protection Agency.

1971:California Air Resources Board Emissions Test Laboratory

1968 Corona Emissions System

1970:•First Earth Day Celebration in San Francisco.•Congress passes the Clean Air Act. This requires reduction by at least 90 percent of smog forming Hydrocarbons (HC), Carbon Monoxide (CO), and Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) in automobiles.

1972:•Toyota begins emissions testing work in Michigan and New Jersey facilities.•EPA begins testing tailpipe emissions.•Corning Inc. announces major improvements to catalytic converters. These improvements make it possible to put catalytic converters on automobiles.

1971:•Toyota opts to focus research efforts on the development of a catalytic method of emission control.

1990: William K. Reilly (left) with Gaylord Nelson (Earth Day founder) on the right

Hilbert’s Garage in Ann Arbor, Michigan, site of Toyota’s first emissions testing

1973:•Toyota promotes energy efficiency in its vehicles by being one of the first to post EPA gas mileage ratings on its vehicles. •President Nixon declares April National Check Your Vehicle Emissions Month and encourages owners to take proper care of their automobile’s engines to cut emissions.•Toyota makes a Cleaner Air Tie-in Kit available to dealers. The kit includes a display banner, bumper stickers, and a letter encouraging them to offer free emissions testing throughout April.

1975:•The EPA rules that all new automobiles must have working catalyst systems.•The automobile industry begins using Corning’s new catalytic converters in automobiles.

Toyota Cleaner Air Promotion

Toyota Advertisement promoting gas mileage.

1975:•Toyota’s Los Angeles Technical Center opens and begins exhaust emissions analysis.•Studies show that leaded fuels cause a degrading affect on the functioning of catalyst emission control systems.

1976:•The industry develops a 3-way automotive catalyst. This is the first system to work on HC, CO, and NOx. •Toyota develops the Toyota Total Clean- Lean Burn engine that significantly reduces NOx emissions.

1977:•Toyota opens the Torrance Technical and Emissions Laboratory, located across the street from company headquarters. The building houses some of the most up-to-date emission analyzing equipment available.•Toyota begins equipping its vehicles with the new 3-way catalytic converters.

Technical and Emissions Lab in Torrance, California

1975 Toyota Corona undergoing emission testing in Los Angeles, California

1986:•EPA establishes new limits for lead in gasoline, reducing the amount by a further 90 percent.

1987:•Toyota Technical Center new Emissions/Vehicle Evaluation Laboratory opens in Michigan.

1990:•California establishes the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate. ZEV’s do not emit any tail pipe emissions. The mandate requires 2 percent of vehicles sold in California by 1998, and 10 percent of vehicles sold in California by 2003 to be ZEV. This stimulates industry investment in electric powered vehicles. Toyota, GM, and Honda begin building experimental electric powered vehicles.

Toyota Technical Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan

1994 Toyota EV-50 Electronic Concept Vehicle

1996:•Toyota announces plans to build an electric- powered RAV4.•California adds Low Emissions Vehicle (LEV) classification to the tailpipe emissions standards. The LEV standard is given to vehicles with reduced tailpipe emissions.

1991:•Federal TIER I emissions standards regulating new light duty vehicles implemented.

1997:•Toyota unveils the Prius, a gas/electric hybrid sedan at the International Electric Vehicle symposium (EVS-14) at Orlando Florida.•Toyota RAV4-EV goes on sale to fleet buyers.

RAV4-EV

1997 Prius

1997:•Toyota introduces the Solara, the first passenger car to use the new Variable Valve Timing with Intelligence (VVTi) engine. VVTi provides continuously variable adjustment of intake valve timing in response to engine speed and load. This results in very low emissions.

1998:•Toyota announces a corporate environmental advertising campaign to raise awareness of the company’s industry leading commitment to developing environmental technologies•Toyota and Pacific Gas & Electric partner to place RAV4-EVs in service in Central and Northern California.•Toyota and GM announce plans to jointly develop a new inductive charging system for electric vehicles.

1997 Solara

1998 Toyota Green Leaf Ad Campaign

1998:•Toyota RAV4-EVs reach sales of 359 vehicles. The International Energy Agency estimates that there are over 4,000 electric powered vehicles total owned by both corporations and individuals.

1999:•Toyota is the first automaker to complete its commitment under the State of California’s zero-emissions vehicle Memorandum of Agreement. •EPA finalizes the Cleaner Cars and Fuels Standards, further reducing tailpipe emissions by as much as 95 percent. •Federal government implements California’s LEV standards as the National Low Emissions Vehicle (NLEV) standards. •Toyota becomes the first national sponsor of National Public Lands Day.

2000 Public Lands Day

1998 RAV4-EV

2000:•Toyota introduces the Prius gas-electric hybrid to the US. •The Sierra Club awards the Toyota Prius its Award for Excellence in Environmental Engineering. •Toyota begins participation as one of 32 member organizations in the California Fuel Cell Partnership program aimed at promoting automotive fuel cells and alternative fuel infrastructure technology.•Toyota tops the Annual Automotive Market Environmental Superiority Awards. •The American Council for an Energy- Sufficient Economy recognizes the Toyota ECHO sub compact sedan, for its fuel efficiency and low tailpipe emissions.

2000 Prius

2000 Echo

2000:•Toyota Motor Sales appoints its first Chief Environmental Officer to oversee the development of a comprehensive, company- wide system of environmental management for Toyota’s U.S. sales, marketing and logistics operations.

2001:•Toyota is connected with the Coordinating Committee For Automotive Repair to assist in meeting regulations for the storage and disposal of waste stream materials via the Web for an on-line version of the Environmental Assistance Network.•Toyota RAV4-EV receives the EPA rating as “best electric vehicle.”•Toyota begins sales of the RAV4-EV to the general public. Toyota’s estimated 2-year supply sells out in 8-months.•Toyota and GM team up to develop fuel cell technology.

2001 Environmental Assistance Network Logo

1998 RAV4-EV Electrical Plug-In

2001:•New York buys 300 Prius cars for use in city and state fleets.•Toyota delivers 5 Prius vehicles to the City of Houston for use in their Planning and Development department.•Department of Energy awards Toyota the “2001 Green Power Leadership Award.”•Toyota releases its first comprehensive North American Environmental report. It addresses design, manufacturing, sales and recycling of Toyota vehicles

2002: •Toyota unveils its FCHV—3, its third generation fuel cell hybrid vehicle.•Toyota hybrids top the 100,000 mark in world sales.•The IRS certifies the Prius as eligible for a $2,000 clean-burning federal fuel tax deduction.

2002 Fuel Cell Hydrogen Vehicle

FCHV System Configuration

2003: •Toyota unveils a new hybrid power system, and trademarks it as “Hybrid Synergy Drive.”•Toyota unveils the new FINE-S fuel cell concept vehicle at the Detroit Auto Show.•Toyota introduces the second generation Prius to the US. The new Prius is a midsize vehicle featuring the Hybrid Synergy Drive that increases fuel efficiency by 15 percent and gets estimated combined mileage of over 40 mpg.

2002:•Toyota delivers two market-ready hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles to the University of California, Irvine and the University of California, Davis for real-world testing.

2003 Hybrid Synergy Drive

2003 FINE-S Fuel Cell Concept Vehicle

2003:•Toyota introduces the Partial Zero Emission Vehicle (PZEV) Camry in California. PZEV’s emit very low to near zero tailpipe emissions and reduced NOx emissions.•The California legislature changes the Zero Emissions Vehicle (ZEV) mandate resulting in Toyota, GM and Honda halting production of electric vehicles.•Toyota Motor Sales headquarters opens its environmentally advanced South Campus expansion, the largest commercial “green building” to earn a Gold-level Certification for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) from the U.S. Green Building Council. The building used recycled steel, photovoltaic cells on the roof and flush-less toilets.

2003 PZEV Camry

Toyota’s South Campus Building

2003:•Toyota’s Alabama and West Virginia engine and transmission plants achieve “zero landfill” status.•The first of six planned hydrogen-fueling stations built in partnership with Stuart Energy, opens at Toyota Motor Sales’ headquarters, one of the first in the world to use renewable energy to produce hydrogen.

2004:•Toyota responds to strong customer demand by boosting production of the Prius to 15,000 units per month•Toyota’s specially modified Prius sets a Bonneville National hybrid land speed record of 130.794 miles per hour.•EPA releases a report showing that emissions of the 6 principle pollutants identified in the original Clean Air Act have been cut in half.

South Campus Hydrogen Fuel Dispenser

Prius sets the land speed hybrid record

2004:•Phase in of U.S. federal TIER II emissions standards begins. TIER II regulates heavy-duty vehicles and tightens standards for light duty vehicles.•Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Kentucky becomes the first Toyota North American assembly plant to achieve zero landfill status.

2005: •Toyota introduces the Lexus RX400h hybrid SUV to the U.S. The Toyota Hybrid Synergy drive gives the vehicle V-8 performance and the emissions of a compact car.•Toyota introduces the Highlander Hybrid SUV to U.S. The Toyota Hybrid Synergy drive gives the vehicle V-8 performance and the emissions of a compact car.•Toyota’s Port of Portland operations receives Gold LEED Certification for its construction, operations, and site management.

2005 Lexus RX 400h

2006 Highlander Hybrid