Jim Press Backpedals On Comments About Funding of Toyota Prius

Chrysler late Wednesday hustled to explain away the controversial comments of Jim Press, its vice chairman and president, in the ongoing firestorm over whether the Japanese government paid to fund the development of the Prius hybrid. Press "was not speaking negatively of Toyota," according to a posting on Chrysler's blog, TheFirehouse.biz.

"In a recent interview, he referenced the close cooperation between the Japanese government and Japanese industry," according to the posting. "He said the Japanese government strongly supported R&D investment in battery development, and the Prius and other Japanese models benefited from that investment in industry. He cited this as an example of cooperation between government and industry working together on public policy issues. He went on to say that he would like to see similar cooperation in the United States in order to find technological improvements that help give U.S. companies a competitive advantage."



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NItePhire - 4/4/2008 1:41:01 PM

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So does this mean that some one paid him to say it or did someone pay him to take it back?

Porschinator - 4/4/2008 4:13:14 PM

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He did not say that Toyota did not get help from the Japanese Gov't. Most likely did for the Prius but he wanted to make his statements less negative. So not exactly back pedling but making sure the correct point is made.

US industries have already benefitted from the US Gov't for several consumer goods (posturepedic beds for one, as well as Hummer H1). I think he wants his opinions to reflect the fact that Gov't projects can assist the consumer Auto market.

It is a fine line but I do not see why there cannot be a level of cooperation.

cckw - 4/4/2008 1:51:36 PM

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Logic dictates that he either lied when he was with Toyota or he lies at Chrysler now. Either way, he lied! What a crook!

Agent009 - 4/4/2008 1:53:49 PM

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Or simply he had no clue!

1970toyotamarc - 4/4/2008 2:38:33 PM

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That would be way too benign a possibility for someone so highly placed. His lies were clearly a direct attempt to simultaneoulsy discredit Toyota while not so subtly asking for the US govt to provided handouts to Detroit (of which they have already given plenty as I researched just for you a couple days ago, no need to thank me).

bigmotov - 4/4/2008 2:34:26 PM

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Either way, it doesn't make him or Chrysler look good. It really looks like a desperate move, from a desperate company.

1970toyotamarc - 4/4/2008 2:35:59 PM

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I dont know why 009 felt the need to ppost this since XeroK00L already did yesterday. But the more illuminating information instead of inflammatory flaming (redundant??) the better.

Funny how the two posts debunking Press's claims have combined about 10 responses.

Where are all the Toyota bashers now? Got a little egg on your faces, maybe?

w209w114 - 4/4/2008 4:31:37 PM

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"Where are all the Toyota bashers now? Got a little egg on your faces, maybe?"

More insightful information from one of our most qualified Posters

1970toyotamarc - 4/4/2008 5:51:20 PM

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Are you here trolling again? Because what you had to say on this issue was so insightful two days ago, what gems are you going to provide us with today? Should I remind the readers of your brilliance on this subject? You missed a little yolk there.

w209w114 - 4/4/2008 8:24:24 PM

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According to you Im not the intelligent one here so why should you expect anything from me? I love to give know it alls like yourself a clean slate to enlighten us all. For some reason I always end up disappointed and feel this wont be exception.

cdoke - 4/4/2008 2:49:40 PM

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Did anyone actually read this article? Jim Press didn't backpedal on anything, the announcement was from Chrysler corporate- and does not actually contradict anything Press said.

At no point even before the two posts on this so-called backpedaling did I get the impression that Press' intention was to defame Toyota. He had far more rational intentions it seems- someone suggested exactly what is said above in the first article about this.

1970toyotamarc - 4/4/2008 2:56:58 PM

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Well there are more comprehensive articles on his "backpedalling" than this one. I think the distinction may be in the word backpedalling. Press certainly did not do a 100% about face, but he clearly tried to dissociate himself from his original claims, hence backpedalling.

cdoke - 4/4/2008 3:09:09 PM

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Unfortunately, "backpedaling" is rather ambiguously defined. It sounds more like a qualification of his statements and his intentions- which were basically whining to begin with.

1970toyotamarc - 4/4/2008 4:05:56 PM

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Agreed. Id be willing to bet that there will be more qualifications to come, perhaps from both sides.

w209w114 - 4/4/2008 3:05:23 PM

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"Supported R&D investment in battery development"

Supporting and Funding are two totally different things. Press should be careful with what he says.

Agent009 - 4/4/2008 4:30:36 PM

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Agreed

1970toyotamarc - 4/4/2008 5:54:31 PM

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Now Press should be careful? Two days ago you were gleeful with his comments. Stop the hypocrisy.

farabira1 - 4/5/2008 4:14:02 PM

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I think he explicitly mentioned that Toyota got money from the Japanese govt, and that has certainly turned out to be a false accusation. And so he is actually backpedalling from his earlier claims, even though most people here at autospies are trying to defend Jim Press, because they don't know that Jim press originally said that Toyota got a large sum of money in R&D from Japanese govt for Hybrid car development, and that is exactly why Toyota protested and explicitly stated that Toyota received not even a cent from the Japanese govt on Prius development.