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Hard as it is to accept but the fact remains that it was the Japanese automakers that popularize the green revolution in the automotive industry. And basing on the recent national poll, Americans do credit the Japanese automakers for the changes in the auto industry.

It no secret that the Japanese automakers lead by Toyota has made environmentally friendly vehicles to be widely available in the US market and basing on the data provided by Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA), around 82 percent of Americans believe that the competition from the Japanese automakers is somewhat pressuring Detroit’s Big Three to finally offer hybrid technologies as well as more fuel efficient cars.

The survey also revealed that around 63 percent of Americans say that fuel efficiency would become a big factor in their decision to purchase their next car. At present there are at least 425,000 Americans that help design, build, and sell Japanese-brand vehicles as a matter of fact 63 percent of the Japanese-brand vehicles sold in the US are produced in North America.

Still 86 percent of Americans surveyed also believe that the jobs provided by these Japanese automakers have contributed significantly in the American economy. Meanwhile, 70 percent of the surveyed Americans also believe that a car made in America by Americans is a US product regardless of the brand it bears.

The survey was conducted among 1,013 Americans last September 2007 by Opinion Research Corporation and is included in the new JAMA publication Japanese Automobile Manufacturers: Cars and Trucks for Vibrant America and a Better World.

The brochure contains reviews of current and historical Japanese automaker investment in America and showcase how JAMA member companies are answering the demand for energy-efficient, eco-friendly vehicles in the US market.

The brochure also reports (source: The Auto Channel):
 
* JAMA members have cumulatively invested $31 billion in 29 U.S. vehicle, engine, and parts manufacturing facilities.

* JAMA members purchased a record-high amount of $48.8 billion in auto parts from U.S. companies between April 2006 and March 2007 (Japan’s fiscal year).

* JAMA members employ 60,000 Americans in manufacturing, nearly 3,600 in research and development, and more than 363,000 in dealerships and distribution.
 
* JAMA members’ U.S. plants produced more than 275,000 cars and trucks for export overseas, accounting for more than 19 percent of total U.S. car and truck exports.

For more info on Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA) kindly visit their web site at www.jama.org.