International Automakers Lead Industry in Driving Clean Technologies in California

AIAM Member Companies Gather for Sacramento Lobby Day to Highlight Contributions to California Economy

SACRAMENTO, Calif., May 20 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Association of International Automobile Manufacturers, Inc. (AIAM) and several of its member company representatives today met with members of the California Legislature and the Governor's Office to promote their contributions to the state's economy and discuss the leadership roles they are taking in the area of advanced technology vehicles.

"AIAM members are invested in developing cleaner, greener automotive technology," said Michael Stanton, President and CEO of AIAM. "We are in California to remind lawmakers about how our member companies are the leading producers of environmentally friendly and fuel-efficient vehicles, some of which are made right here in California."

In a daylong effort, AIAM and its member companies visited state lawmakers to talk about their impact on California's economy, as well as types of advanced technologies currently in auto showrooms and under development. In California, AIAM members:

  --  Directly employ 18,000 people and maintain a payroll of more than $1.5
      billion
  --  Have invested more than $3.6 billion and operate 89 separate
      facilities, including three manufacturing facilities, eight
      headquarters offices, seventeen R&D centers, and eight financial
      service operations
  --  Account for more than half of the nearly 2 million new passenger cars
      and light trucks registered in California last year

In addition to the day's meetings, several gasoline-electric hybrid, compressed natural gas, and fuel cell vehicles - all manufactured by AIAM members - were on display for lawmakers to learn about. California leads the country in hybrid vehicle purchases, accounting for almost 85,000 hybrid vehicles or approximately 92 percent of all new hybrids registered last year. California continued to hold 26 percent of the U.S. hybrid market with 91,417 units registered, a 35.4 percent increase from 2006. Three of the top ten metro markets for hybrids in 2007 were located in California, including Los Angeles (#1), San Francisco (#2) and Sacramento (#9).

About AIAM - AIAM member companies include American Honda Motor Co., American Suzuki Motor Corp., Aston Martin Lagonda of North America, Inc., Ferrari North America, Inc., Hyundai Motor America, Isuzu Motors America, Inc., Kia Motors America, Inc., Maserati North America, Inc., Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc., Nissan North America, Inc., Peugeot Motors of America, Renault, SA, Subaru of America, and Toyota Motor North America, Inc. AIAM also represents original equipment suppliers and other automotive-related trade associations.