Americans Credit Japan For Greener Vehicle Trend

Americans credit competition with Japanese automakers for greener automobile options, according to a national poll released today.
Japanese automakers were first to make environmentally friendly automobiles widely available in the U.S. market, and 82 percent of Americans now agree that competition from the Japanese is pushing the Big 3 to offer hybrid technologies and more fuel-efficient cars, according to the data provided by the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA).
Today more than 90 percent of hybrid vehicles sold in America are Japanese brands,” said William C. Duncan, general director, JAMA USA.
The survey revealed that 63 percent of Americans say that fuel efficiency will be even more important than in the past when choosing their next car.
More than 425,000 Americans design, build, and sell Japanese-brand automobiles.
Today 63 percent of the Japanese-brand vehicles sold in the U.S. are produced in North America.
Our success in this market comes from living and working here, Duncan said.
Eighty-six percent of Americans surveyed believe these U.S. jobs represent a significant contribution to the American economy, while 70 percent agree that a car made in America by Americans is a U.S. product regardless of the make of the car.
The survey of 1,013 Americans, conducted in September 2007 by Opinion Research Corporation, is included in the new JAMA publication.
The brochure reviews current and historical Japanese automaker investment in America, and demonstrates how JAMA member companies are meeting the demand for energy-efficient, environmentally friendly vehicles in the U.S. market.