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Toyota to Introduce Eco Drive Indicator; New Feature Aims to Encourage Environmentally Considerate Driving

Tokyo, Japan, Sept. 29, 2006 - (JCN Newswire) - Toyota Motor Corporation announced today that, beginning in October, new Japanese-market vehicle models with automatic transmissions will be equipped with the Eco Drive Indicator, a feature meant to encourage environmentally considerate driving. This development - aimed at reducing CO2 emissions through increased fuel efficiency - is part of Toyota's efforts to combat global warming.

Based on a comprehensive determination that takes into consideration such factors as accelerator use, engine and transmission efficiency and speed and rate of acceleration, the Eco Drive Indicator, located on the instrument panel, lights up when the vehicle is being operated in a fuel-efficient manner. This is hoped will raise driver awareness toward environmentally considerate driving and contribute to fuel economy.

Although results may vary - depending on the level of traffic and conditions such as the frequency of starts from stop and of acceleration, as well as distance driven - the Eco Drive Indicator can improve fuel efficiency by approximately 4% (as measured by TMC).

TMC believes that a three-way approach that regards vehicles, the traffic environment and people as three pillars of an inter-related whole is necessary to truly contribute to the realization of sustainable mobility. Accordingly, TMC is actively undertaking driver-awareness initiatives, efforts to develop and commercialize environmental technologies and activities aimed at improving traffic environments using social systems that employ ITS (intelligent transportation systems). The Eco Drive Indicator represents one of TMC's driver-awareness initiatives.

About Toyota Motor Corporation

Toyota Motor Corporation , established in 1937, is one of the world's representative automobile manufacturers, producing vehicles in 26 countries and regions and marketing vehicles in more than 170 countries and regions. In fiscal 2006, Toyota provided nearly eight million vehicles on a consolidated basis to customers around the world under the Toyota, Lexus, Daihatsu and Hino brands. Toyota had more than 280,000 employees at the end of fiscal 2006. The company is headquartered in Aichi, Japan. For more information, please visit www.toyota.co.jp/en/index.html.