Toyota Unveils Eco-VAS for Environmental Assessment

Tokyo, Japan, June. 16, 2003 - (JCN Newswire) - TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION
(TMC) unveiled today a comprehensive environmental impact assessment
system that allows—throughout the entire vehicle development process—the
systematic assessment of the burden a vehicle will have on the
environment as the result of its production, use and disposal. The new
system, called Eco-VAS (Eco-Vehicle Assessment System), is aimed at
heightening Toyota's vehicle-related environmental responses, in an
effort to further reinforce its approach toward comprehensive
environmental impact assessment. 

Ever since TMC's in-house R&D facilities acquired ISO14001 certification
in 1998, the company has been constantly monitoring its progress toward
achieving environmental impact reduction targets. Eco-VAS, based on the
concept of life cycle assessment (LCA), will serve as a valuable
environment-management tool for those responsible for vehicle
development. 

Eco-VAS Main Points 

At the very start of planning, the person responsible for a particular
vehicle sets environmental impact reduction targets for that vehicle. 
Assessment of environmental impact is carried out covering a wide range
of items, including fuel efficiency, emissions and noise during vehicle
use, the disposal recovery rate, the reduction of substances of
environmental concern, and CO2 emissions throughout the entire life
cycle of the vehicle from production to disposal. 

A computer network (soon to be established) allows the project leader or
other responsible person to access an environmental database from a
personal computer, check the status of target achievement, continually
confirm results and obtain feedback during the entire development
process, in order to assess vehicle recovery rates and the amount of
usage of substances of environmental concern and to carry out LCA. 

Through these processes, and under the direct management of the person
in charge, necessary measures to reduce the environmental impact of each
vehicle can be devised in the initial stages of development, enabling
steady development progress with an eye toward achieving targets and
raising a vehicle's overall environmental performance. 

Eco-VAS Operational Flow 

Persons in charge of vehicle development set environmental impact
reduction targets for vehicles at the planning stage and continually
check target-achievement status from the start of the development
process through to the start of production. 

Environmental Approach Background and Role of Eco-VAS 

TMC has long positioned preservation of the global environment as a
top-priority management issue and is actively promoting environmental
preservation measures based on the Toyota Earth Charter, which outlines
TMC's basic environmental policies, and the Toyota Environmental Action
Plans, which specify TMC's mid- to long-term environmental activities
and goals. TMC began implementing LCA for major vehicle series with the
Estima Hybrid launched in June 2001. 

Eco-VAS will be implemented in earnest from 2005 as part of efforts to
promote initiatives for "development of a comprehensive prior assessment
system" in accordance with the Third Toyota Environmental Action Plan
(drafted in April 2000 with targets to be achieved in FY2005). TMC plans
to carry out comprehensive environmental impact assessments during the
planning stage for all newly developed vehicles. 

Prior to full-scale implementation of Eco-VAS, the new system's
computerized database network will start operation from 2004 and will be
used for assessing the environmental impact of vehicles that are
currently under development.