Contact: Claudia Keith/Marc Littman Metro Media Relations (626) 357-8002/ (213) 922-2700 or Marie Condron Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce (213) 925-9605 For Immediate Release November 15, 2005

Toyota Given Julian Dixon Award for Improving Mobility Through Innovation with Best-Selling Prius Hybrid Vehicle

Ceremony part of Mobility 21 transportation summit sponsored by Metro, Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce and the Automobile Club of Southern California

Long Beach – The Mobility 21 Coalition has named the Toyota Prius as winner of the 2005 Julian Dixon Award, honoring the company’s leadership in revolutionizing mobility with its Toyota Prius hybrid vehicle.

The award was presented as part of the Fourth Annual Mobility 21 Transportation Summit sponsored by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with the Automobile Club of Southern California.

The Julian Dixon Award is named in honor of the late congressman who was an early champion of Los Angeles County’s rail and bus systems. He is credited with forging a consensus among state and federal officials on the need to build a county public transportation system. The award honors an individual or organization that has improved mobility in Los Angeles County through great vision and leadership.

“We’re honored to be a recipient of the prestigious Julian Dixon Award,” said Celeste Migliore, Toyota’s national manager of advanced technology fuel vehicles. “Julian Dixon had a vision of improving mobility in Los Angeles. Recognizing Toyota’s dedication to hybrid vehicles, the honor validates our vision of more efficient, cleaner transportation.”

With Prius, Toyota has cut drivers’ fuel costs and offers a car that doesn’t harm the environment, thus improving quality of life. The Prius is a protoype for the cars of the future, going beyond form and function to reinvent the way automobiles are powered. Toyota was one of the first car manufacturers to recognize the need for an environmentally safe, fuel-efficient vehicle. Toyota first introduced the Prius – now the most popular hybrid in the world - in the U.S. in 2000 and more than 200,000 vehicles have been sold, with about 30 percent of those purchased by Californians.

With an estimated fuel economy rating of 60 miles per gallon (mpg) in city driving and 51 miles per gallon on the highway, the Prius has the highest fuel economy of any vehicle sold in the Untied States. In addition, the vehicle’s Hybrid Synergy Drive allows it to shift seamlessly between a half-dozen operating modes, ranging from shutting off the gasoline engine when the vehicle is at rest to full-throttle acceleration using energy drawn only from the car batteries.

The Julian Dixon Award is part of the annual Mobility 21 transportation summit that brings together elected officials, transportation providers, business and the community to develop solutions to the region’s traffic challenges.