Toyota which is an observer in a number of the European automotive industry association ACEA working groups, will become a full member of the association starting in January.
Sergio Marchionne, the ACEA President and Fiat's CEO, welcomes Toyota Motor Europe (TME) in the association with the certainty that it will make a valuable contribution to the group.

Toyota first formally applied for full ACEA membership in 2005 but was kept aside while companies like GM and Ford based outside Europe were members.

"We have an important presence in Europe now and joining the European automotive association was the next logical step.” said TME President Tadashi Arashima. The company looks forward to working with fellow partners on the issues confronting the industry.

The current members of ACEA, first established in 1991, provide direct employment to more than 2.3 million people and support another 10 million jobs in related sectors.

TME employs about 55,000 people in Europe directly and indirectly and has invested over 6 billion euros ($8.05 billion) here since 1990, it has five assembly plants that built 808,000 vehicles last year and three parts plants that manufactured 864,000 engines and 564,000 transmissions.

Toyota overtook General Motors Corp in global sales in the first quarter of the year and represents strong competition due to its technology to European automakers.



Publication date: 11 June 2007   

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