The Man Who Pushed Toyota to Build the Prius Has Died at 93
Hiroshi Okuda, the former Toyota president and chairman widely credited with turning the company into a true global powerhouse and greenlighting the world’s first mass-produced hybrid, has died at the age of 93. Toyota confirmed his death this month, attributing it to natural causes, closing out a remarkable 45-year career at the automaker.
Hiroshi Okuda led Toyota from 1995 to 2006 and championed the Prius hybrid. Image: Toyota
An Outsider Who Rose to the Very Top
Okuda joined Toyota almost immediately after graduating from Hitotsubashi University in Tokyo in 1955. What made his ascent unusual was that he was not a member of the founding Toyoda family, which has long held significant influence over the company’s leadership. Okuda nonetheless rose through the ranks to become president in 1995 and later chairman, serving in Toyota’s top roles until 2006. Colleagues remembered him as tall, outspoken and unafraid to take risks in an industry often defined by caution and consensus.
Okuda’s defining legacy is his role in bringing the Toyota Prius to market in 1997. While engineer Takeshi Uchiyamada led the technical development programme and is also referred to as a “father of the Prius,” it was Okuda who set the direction from the top, reportedly ordering the car ready for production a full year ahead of its original timeline. At a moment when hybrid and electrified vehicles were viewed as a commercial dead end by much of the industry, that decision proved prescient — the Prius went on to become the template for hybrid technology that dominates much of today’s automotive landscape.
Building Toyota Into a Global Giant
Beyond the Prius, Okuda is remembered for overseeing an aggressive expansion of Toyota’s manufacturing footprint across Europe and the United States during the 1990s, positioning the Camry to become one of America’s best-selling cars and setting Toyota on a path that would eventually see it overtake General Motors as the world’s largest automaker by sales volume. He was also known internally for championing “kaizen,” Toyota’s philosophy of continuous, incremental improvement, and for pushing the promotion of younger managers at a time when Japanese corporate culture still favoured strict seniority.
Hiroshi Okuda led Toyota from 1995 to 2006 and championed the Prius hybrid. Image: Toyota
A Legacy Beyond the Factory Floor
Okuda’s influence extended well past Toyota’s walls. He went on to lead major Japanese business federations, including the Keidanren and the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association, giving him a significant voice in shaping the country’s broader industrial and economic policy. Toyota has not released details of a public memorial, with funeral arrangements being handled privately by his family.
As the auto industry continues its shift toward electrification, Okuda’s decision to bet on hybrid technology nearly three decades ago stands as one of the more consequential calls in the sector’s modern history — one that helped define Toyota’s identity, and the direction of the wider industry, for a generation.
Hiroshi Okuda was Toyota's president from 1995 and later its chairman until 2006, credited with globalising the company and pushing forward development of the Toyota Prius.
Why is Hiroshi Okuda called the ""father of the Prius""?
As Toyota's top executive, Okuda directed the Prius development programme and moved up its launch timeline by a year, though engineer Takeshi Uchiyamada led its technical development.
When did Hiroshi Okuda die and at what age?
Toyota confirmed his death in August 2026; he was 93 years old.
What else was Hiroshi Okuda known for at Toyota?
He oversaw Toyota's manufacturing expansion into Europe and the US, championed the kaizen improvement philosophy, and later led major Japanese business federations including the Keidanren.
Table of Contents
The Man Who Pushed Toyota to Build the Prius Has Died at 93
Hiroshi Okuda, the former Toyota president and chairman widely credited with turning the company into a true global powerhouse and greenlighting the world’s first mass-produced hybrid, has died at the age of 93. Toyota confirmed his death this month, attributing it to natural causes, closing out a remarkable 45-year career at the automaker.
Hiroshi Okuda led Toyota from 1995 to 2006 and championed the Prius hybrid. Image: Toyota
An Outsider Who Rose to the Very Top
Okuda joined Toyota almost immediately after graduating from Hitotsubashi University in Tokyo in 1955. What made his ascent unusual was that he was not a member of the founding Toyoda family, which has long held significant influence over the company’s leadership. Okuda nonetheless rose through the ranks to become president in 1995 and later chairman, serving in Toyota’s top roles until 2006. Colleagues remembered him as tall, outspoken and unafraid to take risks in an industry often defined by caution and consensus.
Okuda’s defining legacy is his role in bringing the Toyota Prius to market in 1997. While engineer Takeshi Uchiyamada led the technical development programme and is also referred to as a “father of the Prius,” it was Okuda who set the direction from the top, reportedly ordering the car ready for production a full year ahead of its original timeline. At a moment when hybrid and electrified vehicles were viewed as a commercial dead end by much of the industry, that decision proved prescient — the Prius went on to become the template for hybrid technology that dominates much of today’s automotive landscape.
Building Toyota Into a Global Giant
Beyond the Prius, Okuda is remembered for overseeing an aggressive expansion of Toyota’s manufacturing footprint across Europe and the United States during the 1990s, positioning the Camry to become one of America’s best-selling cars and setting Toyota on a path that would eventually see it overtake General Motors as the world’s largest automaker by sales volume. He was also known internally for championing “kaizen,” Toyota’s philosophy of continuous, incremental improvement, and for pushing the promotion of younger managers at a time when Japanese corporate culture still favoured strict seniority.
Hiroshi Okuda led Toyota from 1995 to 2006 and championed the Prius hybrid. Image: Toyota
A Legacy Beyond the Factory Floor
Okuda’s influence extended well past Toyota’s walls. He went on to lead major Japanese business federations, including the Keidanren and the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association, giving him a significant voice in shaping the country’s broader industrial and economic policy. Toyota has not released details of a public memorial, with funeral arrangements being handled privately by his family.
As the auto industry continues its shift toward electrification, Okuda’s decision to bet on hybrid technology nearly three decades ago stands as one of the more consequential calls in the sector’s modern history — one that helped define Toyota’s identity, and the direction of the wider industry, for a generation.
Hiroshi Okuda was Toyota's president from 1995 and later its chairman until 2006, credited with globalising the company and pushing forward development of the Toyota Prius.
Why is Hiroshi Okuda called the ""father of the Prius""?
As Toyota's top executive, Okuda directed the Prius development programme and moved up its launch timeline by a year, though engineer Takeshi Uchiyamada led its technical development.
When did Hiroshi Okuda die and at what age?
Toyota confirmed his death in August 2026; he was 93 years old.
What else was Hiroshi Okuda known for at Toyota?
He oversaw Toyota's manufacturing expansion into Europe and the US, championed the kaizen improvement philosophy, and later led major Japanese business federations including the Keidanren.
