Japanese Automobile Manufacturers: Cars and Trucks for a Vibrant America and a Better World
[November 2007]

Year after year of leading automotive quality surveys, and 50 years of driving experience by American consumers, have made excellence and innovation synonymous with Japanese cars and trucks. Now Americans are demanding more, and the member companies of the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA) have dedicated themselves to providing it.

It will surprise few who watch television and read the papers that Americans are concerned about the impact they are having on the environment. Americans want to take steps to reduce their energy consumption, and Japanese automakers are producing the vehicles to help them do so.

You will read data in the pages that follow demonstrating how meeting the demand for energy-efficient, environmentally friendly vehicles has been a powerful force for JAMA member company success in the U.S. market in recent years. It will become clear how anticipating this relatively new consumer demand has sprung from the same philosophy that has made our companies leaders in overall quality, value and technological innovation.

For decades, Japanese automakers have created new technical methods that improve vehicle quality and performance. Now they are focused on even newer technologies that will reduce the impact of vehicles on the environment. Today more than 90 percent of hybrid vehicles sold in America are Japanese brands. Japanese automakers also are exploring other forms of energy, such as fuel cells, hydrogen, biofuels, and electricity, that will make vehicles even more fuel efficient and less polluting. More than 80 percent of Americans surveyed believe it is the competition with Japanese automakers that is pushing traditional U.S. manufacturers to offer hybrid technologies and fuel-efficient vehicles of their own. This is reminiscent of data in the 1990s in which Americans credited Japanese competition with improvements in auto quality, choice, and value.

JAMA member companies know the American consumer because of our longstanding commitment to investing in America, building cars in America, and employing U.S. workers. Today 63 percent of Japanese-brand automobiles sold in the U.S. are built in North America, and more than 425,000 Americans design, build, and sell them. Eighty-six percent of Americans surveyed believe these jobs represent a significant contribution to the American economy. As this brochure demonstrates, our companies continue to take great pride not just in our success with U.S. consumers, but also in our contributions to the economic vibrancy of America, and a better world for us all.