‘Father of the Prius’ to step down as Toyota executive fellow

'Father of the Prius' to step down as Toyota executive fellow 'Father of the Prius' to step down as Toyota executive fellow

NAGOYA, Japan — Takeshi Uchiyamada, the “father of the Prius,” will step down as an executive fellow following the general shareholders meeting in June and become a senior adviser, Toyota Motor said on Tuesday.

Uchiyamada joined Toyota in 1969, working in research and development as well as production management. He led the development of the first-generation Prius, which launched in 1997 as the world’s first mass-market hybrid car.