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Akihiko Otsuka

Akihiko Otsuka

ToyotaDevelopment lead

Chief engineer who took the third-generation Prius from concept to production, leading a development team of about 2,000 people

Timeline

  1. 1986

    Joined

    Toyota Motor Corporation Vibration Testing Section

  2. 1998

    Toyota Motor Corporation Product planning division

  3. 2007
    Prius 3rd generation
    Prius 3rd generation

    2009–2015Development leadfrom 2007

    Worked with

    The Prius, a dream beyond dreams

    While working on the Estima and Alphard hybrids, Otsuka came to feel that hybrids could overturn the conventional wisdom that better fuel economy means sacrificing driving. The Prius, synonymous with hybrids, was out of reach for him. In October, when he joined the third-generation development team in a role supporting Satoshi Ogiso, who had been involved since the first generation, he was simply happy.

    Chief Engineer

Connections

Akihiko Otsuka

Akihiko Otsuka

  • Satoshi Ogiso

    Satoshi Ogiso

    Superior

    Otsuka joined the third-generation development team to support Ogiso, who had worked on the Prius since the first generation, and later took over the post of chief engineer from Ogiso.

  • Takeshi Uchiyamada

    Takeshi Uchiyamada

    Superior

    In the vibration testing section, where Otsuka was first assigned after joining Toyota, his direct section manager was Uchiyamada.

  • Akira Akiyama

    Akira Akiyama

    Same-year hire
    • Joined Toyota Motor Corporation in 1986

Profile

From Osaka Prefecture. Chief engineer of the third-generation Prius. He took over the post of chief engineer from chief engineer Satoshi Ogiso, and as development lead headed the development project for the new Prius.

Translated from Japanese sources.

Toyota engineers

All Toyota engineers