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If
we were to judge 2011 simply by natural disasters alone, this year
would have to go down as one of the craziest in recent history.
Magnitude 5.9 earthquakes shook up the east coast and cracked the
Washington monument. Hurricane Irene came along and caused significant
damage with its 135 mph winds. Tornadoes struck multiple parts of the
country, including Joplin, Missouri.
Overseas, one of the largest earthquakes in recorded history ravaged
Japan on March 11. Business and production slowed tremendously as time
and resources were allocated to disaster recovery. So how has the
economy in the automotive industry been affected?
Here
at Lou Fusz Toyota, you may have noticed our inventory of new vehicles
has been lighter than normal. The disaster in Japan knocked out more
than 650 Toyota part suppliers, which directly decreased the amount of
Toyota vehicles available at dealerships across the country.
After
March 11, Atsushi Niimi, head of production at Toyota in Japan, made a
crucial decision for the company: pour resources first and foremost into
the Prius, the world’s top selling hybrid vehicle. Within weeks,
production rates were at 30-40% for the vehicle, and have grown since.
4,000 temporary workers were then hired in July to help get the ball
rolling for over all production, and a full recovery has finally been
made as of this fall.
Toyota’s
decision to focus on hybrids is a good sign for the future of the
automotive industry and the environment, as oil prices continue to climb
and population rates increase worldwide.
With the capability to
reach 50 miles per gallon, the Prius is one of the most efficient
hybrids available. It is also a great step forward for automakers in
reaching the White House’s proposed fuel efficiency standard of 54.5 mpg
for vehicles by 2025.
Do you think we will see all vehicles reaching 50 plus miles per gallon in the next 15 years?
