Toyota Brings 'Highway to the Future: Mobile Hybrid Experience' to Portland, Oregon

Toyota's Mobile Experience Offers A Look Inside Hybrid Synergy Drive.

Photos courtesy: Rebecca Lee/GolinHarris for Toyota

(PORTLAND, Ore.) - Toyota is bringing its nationwide tour called "Highway to the Future: Mobile Hybrid Experience," to the Better Living Show in Portland, Oregon March 28th – 30th.

The tour is designed to provide consumers with a firsthand opportunity to experience automotive hybrid technology and learn what they can do to make a difference in the environment.

The tour will stop at numerous public events nationwide in 2008 and consists of three simultaneously traveling exhibits. Consumers will have an opportunity to learn about hybrid technology through a number of interactive, educational stations and test drive Toyota's Prius, Camry Hybrid or Highlander Hybrid.

"This tour invites consumers to learn more about the benefits and technology of hybrid vehicles as well as Toyota’s environmental initiatives," said Keith Dahl, national engagement marketing manager for Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.

"Two of our key goals are to provide people the opportunity to take an up-close look at how hybrid vehicles operate and encourage lifestyle changes that can help protect the environment."

Highway to the Future: Mobile Hybrid Experience serves as an interactive mobile exhibit to the environment and alternative fuels. The exhibit will be located inside the Portland Expo Center in Portland, Oregon:

• Friday, March 28th from noon to 9:00 PM.
• Saturday, March 29th from 11:00 AM to 9:00 PM
• Sunday, March 30th from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

There are four distinct interactive learning areas within the exhibit:

* "Alternative Fuels: Fueling the Future," identifies the differences in the various types of alternative fuels and how they are produced.

* "Environment and Resources: Small Steps, Big Difference," shows attendees what they can do to make a difference to the environment.

* "The Prius Driving Experience" simulates the current Hybrid Synergy Drive technology allowing visitors to interact with system while on-screen instructions offer driving tips.

* "Hybrid Technology: Not All Hybrids are Created Equal" exhibit gives visitors a better understanding of the various hybrid technology options on the market and how hybrids benefit the consumer and the environment.

In addition, the exhibit provides attendees the opportunity to get behind the wheel of a hybrid vehicle to experience Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive system.

The hybrid experience offers more than just interesting educational activities; it also is designed to minimize its own environmental impact. Toyota will plant 50,000 trees in honor of those visiting the experience in conjunction with the National Arbor Day Foundation.

These trees will help offset the "carbon footprint" of the trucks transporting the tour across the country and will continue to have a positive impact on the environment for years to come.

Toyota's Highway to the Future: Mobile Hybrid Experience will travel to more than 150 events across the 48 contiguous United States over a total of 18 months. For more information or the schedule of events, please visit toyota.com/highway.

About Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.

Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc. is the marketing, sales, distribution and customer service arm of Toyota, Lexus and Scion. Established in 1957, TMS markets products and services through a network of more than 1,400 Toyota, Lexus and Scion dealers. Toyota directly employs over 36,000 people in the U.S. and sold more than 2.6 million vehicles in 2007. For more information about our company, please visit http://www.toyota.com/, http://www.lexus.com/ and http://www.scion.com/. Our Highway to the Future: Mobile Hybrid Experience partners:

3form (3-form.com)

3form is the leading manufacturer and provider of award winning, eco-friendly resin-based materials and solutions for the Architecture + Design industry.

Established in Salt Lake City in 1991, 3form provides a forward-thinking approach to the use of its materials within various architectural systems - ranging from wall paneling to complex decorative shapes. In challenging both material limits and traditional spatial concepts, 3form Architectural provides breakthrough architectural solutions and services for fabricating architects’ most challenging installations.

National Arbor Day Foundation

The National Arbor Day Foundation is a nonprofit, environmental education organization of nearly one million members, with a mission to inspire people to plant, nurture, and celebrate trees. More information on the Foundation and its programs can be found at arborday.org.

George P. Johnson (gpj.com)

Established in 1914, GPJ is one of the foremost experience marketing agencies in the world. Named one of Advertising Age’s "Top 25 Marketing Agencies" it provides a full suite of relationship-building event, exhibit and live experience solutions through which it helps Fortune 500 and other premier companies bring their brands, services and products to prospects and customers around the globe.

GPJ provides integrated event marketing and strategy, creative, data, meeting logistics management and execution services through 24 offices in Detroit, Los Angeles, Stuttgart, Sydney, Boston, San Francisco, London, Tokyo, Beijing, Shanghai, Singapore, Seoul, Bangalore and others.

GPJ made history in 1998 when IBM became the first Fortune 10 company to consolidate its global event marketing program into one agency, naming GPJ as its event marketing agency of record. As a result of its work with IBM, GPJ earned the first EX Award for "Best Global Business-to-Business Event Marketing" program.