Ballard Power Systems is recognized as the world leader in the design, development and manufacture of zero-emission proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells. Ballard is commercializing fuel cells for the transportation market and electric drives for both fuel cell and battery-powered electric vehicles, power electronics and fuel cells for both portable and stationary power generation markets. It is also a Tier 1 supplier of friction materials to the automotive industry for automatic transmissions as well as a supplier of carbon fiber paper gas diffusion layers (GDL) to the fuel cell industry.

Eicher Group is a significant player in the Indian automobile industry. The Eicher Group has diversified business interests in manufacturing & marketing of Tractors, Commercial Vehicles, Automotive Gears, Motorcycles, and exports of vehicles, aggregates and components. Eicher has also invested in the potential growth areas of Management Consultancy Services.

Bajaj Auto, is ranked as the world’s fourth largest two- and three- wheeler manufacturer and the Bajaj brand is well-known in over a dozen countries in Europe, Latin America, the US and Asia. Bajaj Auto continued to be India’s largest exporter of two and three wheelers. During 2004-05, it exported 196,710 two and three-wheelers—which represented a growth of 26 per cent over 2003-04. Exports now constitute 11 per cent in volume terms and 12 per cent of its value of net sales.

Pendragon PLC is a multi-national operator of franchised motorcar dealerships in the UK with outlets overseas in the USA and Germany. It specializes in the representation of luxury/prestige franchises, including marques such as BMW, Porsche, Ferrari, Jaguar and Mercedes Benz, operating 19 car dealerships in addition to a small contract hire business.

Sonic Automotive, Inc. operates as an automotive retailer in the United States. It provides services, including sales of new and used cars, and light trucks; sales of replacement parts and performance of vehicle maintenance, warranty, paint, and repair services; and arrangement of service contracts, nonrecourse financing, insurance and vehicle protection products.

CarMax, a Fortune 500 company and one of the Fortune 2005 “100 Best Companies to Work For,” is the nation’s largest retailer of used cars. With headquarters in Richmond, Va., CarMax currently operates 65 used car superstores in 29 markets. CarMax also operates seven new car franchises, all of which are integrated or co-located with its used car superstores.

UnitedAuto Group is the second largest publicly-traded automotive retailer in the United States as measured by total revenue. It offers a full range of 40 vehicle brands, with approximnately 86% of its revenues generated from the combined sales of foreign brands and luxury brands such as BMW, Honda, Lexus, Mercedes and Toyota.

As a premier manufacturer of sports utility vehicles (SUV) and recreational vehicles (RV), SsangYong Motor is making an all-out effort that manufactures premium products in leading 4X4 market.Founded in 1954, it has been manufacturing automobiles for more than five decades. It began its business as a manufacturer of commercial vehicles such as trucks, buses, and special purpose vehicles including mixers and fire-fighting trucks.

Advance Auto Parts, Inc. is based in Roanoke, Virginia and is the second largest automotive aftermarket retailer in the United States, based on sales and store count. It operates approximately 2,700 stores in 40 continental states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. The company sells automotive parts, accessories, batteries and maintenance items.

Tata Motors is India’s most reliable, dynamic and futuristic automobile manufacturer.With more than 130 models spanning a wide range of Commercial Vehicles, Passenger Cars and Multi-Utility Vehicles, Tata Motors provides the wheels for India’s growth.

Ryland group is one of the UK’s largest privately owned car dealer groups with more than 30 individual dealerships representing most of the major specialist and luxury franchises.

TRW Automotive with 2004 sales of $12.0 billion is among the world’s ten largest automotive suppliers and is one of the top financial performers in the industry. The company supplies more than 40 major vehicle manufacturers and 250 nameplates and holds leading positions in all of its primary product categories.

Visteon is a global enterprise with nearly a century of automotive engineering and design expertise and over 80 years of experience in accomplished integrated systems. Its customer base includes the 19 largest vehicle manufacturers in the world.It has one of the most comprehensive portfolios in the automotive industry — covering electronics, climate, chassis, powertrain, interior and exterior systems.

Established in July 1977 as Hyundai Precision Industry, Hyundai Mobis grew into the number-one container manufacturer in the world in a mere three years, overtaking Japan, the former leader in the sector.

During the 90’s, switching to the automobile business, it produced finished automobiles such as Santamo and Galloper, from which originates the ‘Galloper Myth.’Further, in the area of rolling stock, the company’s outstanding technology has enabled it to be selected as the final assembler for the Seoul-Busan High-speed Electric Rail and thus bring a major contribution to the project.

Autoliv, Inc. supplies automotive safety systems to the automotive manufacturers worldwide. The company, through Autoliv AB, develops, manufactures, and supplies car occupant restraint systems to the automotive industry. In addition, Autoliv, through Autoliv ASP, Inc., designs, develops, and manufactures airbag inflators, modules and airbag cushions, seat belts, and steering wheels. The company sells inflators and modules for use in driver, passenger, side-impact, and knee bolster airbag systems for automotive markets worldwide.

Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha is one of Japan’s largest marine transportation companies, it operates a fleet of about 340 vessels that transport coal, grain, iron ore, and lumber, in addition to automobiles, crude oil, and liquefied natural gas (LNG). The company’s fleet includes containerships, bulk carriers, and tankers and has a carrying capacity of about 20 million deadweight tons. The “K” Line also operates marine and rail terminals and offers logistics, freight forwarding, and warehousing services.

Yamaha is best known for its extensive line of motorcycles, Yamaha Motor also manufactures WaveRunner personal water vehicles, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), leisure and fishing boats, snowmobiles, and golf carts. Other products include unmanned industrial helicopters used for spraying crops, electro-hybrid bicycles, generators, and auto and boat motors. Yamaha Motor and its subsidiaries and affiliates operate 60 plants in 35 countries.

Toyota Tsusho is the trading unit for the Toyota Group, which includes Toyota Motor and auto parts maker DENSO. The company brokers a wide array of goods, including metals such as steel (its largest division) machinery and electronics, industrial materials (chemicals, auto parts), and various consumer products. Toyota Tsusho exports Toyota vehicles around the world and offers insurance services for companies. Through a joint venture with Mitsubishi Materials, Toyota Tsusho will make sludge-based fuel. Toyota Motor Corporation owns about 23% of the company.

Tokyo-based Isuzu is one of the world’s top makers of light-, medium-, and heavy-duty trucks (N Series, F Series, and C&E Series, respectively). It also makes pickups, diesel engines, and buses. Isuzu introduced its latest SUV offering, the seven-passenger Ascender, in 2003.

Lear Corporation (Lear) is an automotive interior systems supplier. It has capabilities in all five principal segments of the automotive interior market: seat systems, flooring and acoustic systems, door panels, instrument panels and cockpit systems, and overhead systems. The Company conducts its business in three operating segments: seating, interior, and electronic and electrical. The seating segment includes seat systems and components. The interior segment includes flooring and acoustic systems, door panels, instrument panels and cockpit systems, overhead systems and other interior products. The electronic and electrical segment includes electronic and electrical distribution systems, primarily wire harnesses, wireless systems and interior control systems. Lear’s customers include automotive manufacturers, such as General Motors, Ford, DaimlerChrysler, BMW, Fiat, PSA, Volkswagen, Renault/Nissan, Toyota, Hyundai, Mazda and Subaru.

AutoNation, Inc., through its subsidiaries, is an automotive retailer in the United States. The Company offers a diversified range of automotive products and services, including new vehicles, used vehicles, vehicle maintenance and repair services, vehicle parts, extended service contracts, vehicle protection products and other aftermarket products. AutoNation also arranges financing for vehicle purchases through third-party finance sources. As of December 31, 2004, the Company owned and operated 358 new vehicle franchises from 281 stores located in major metropolitan markets in 17 states, predominantly in the Sunbelt region of the United States. The Company’s stores sell 35 different brands of new vehicles. The core brands of vehicles that AutoNation sells, representing approximately 98% of the new vehicles that it sold, during the year ended December 31, 2004, were manufactured by Ford, General Motors, DaimlerChrysler, Toyota, Nissan, Honda and BMW.

Mazda Motor Corporation based in Hiroshima, Japan manufactures a diverse line of passenger cars and commercial vehicles as one of the largest employers in western Japan (24,000 employees as of March 1998). Mazda carries the unique distinction as one of the only automakers featuring three types of engines: conventional gasoline-piston, diesel, and rotary.

In calendar year 1997, Mazda manufactured some 870,000 cars and trucks at its two production sites in Japan: Hiroshima and Hofu. In addition, Mazda cars were produced at the Michigan-based plant in the United States, AutoAlliance International Inc., managed cooperatively with Ford Motor Company.

Toyota Industries Corporation makes a dent in the auto industry. Originally founded in 1926 as a maker of automatic looms, the company now specializes in automobiles, materials handling equipment, electronics components, and textile machinery. Brand names of cars produced include the Corolla, the RAV4, and the Vitz. The automotive and material handling segments manufacture compressors, pumps, power heaters, vehicle engines, lift trucks, environmental equipment, and sorter equipment, while the textile machinery division makes spinning and weaving machinery. Toyota Industries owns plants in Asia, Europe, and North America. Toyota Motor Corporation owns over 20% of the company.

South Korea’s #1 carmaker, Hyundai produces about a dozen models of cars and minivans, as well as trucks, buses, and other commercial vehicles. The company reestablished itself as Korea’s leading carmaker in 1998 by acquiring a 51% stake in Kia Motors (since reduced to about 37%). Hyundai’s exports include the Accent and Sonata, while its Korean models include the Atos subcompact. The company also manufactures machine tools for factory automation and material-handling equipment.

Mitsubishi Motors is the fastest growing Japanese automaker in North America. Why? An agile, streamlined organization. Dedicated employees. A standout brand. All-new markets. And some pretty hot products.

Its official name is Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc., (MMNA) and it is responsible for manufacturing, finance, distribution and marketing of Mitsubishi brand coupes, convertibles, sedans and sport utility vehicles through a network of nearly 700 dealers in the United States, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean.

The Volkswagen group with its headquarters in Wolfsburg is one of the world’s leading automobile manufacturers and the largest car producer in Europe. With 4.984 million vehicles delivered to customers in 2002, the company attained a global market share of 12.1 %. In western Europe, the largest car market in the world, nearly every fifth new car came from the Volkswagen group.

The Volkswagen group is a founding member of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and the business-tobusiness network for CSR (CSR Europe). Volkswagen AG was founded on 28 May 1937 and today has 157 066 employees in Germany.

The BMW Group is the only manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles worldwide that concentrates entirely on premium standards and outstanding quality for all its brands and across all relevant segments.

General Motors Corp. the world’s largest automaker, has been the global industry sales leader since 1931. Founded in 1908, GM today employs about 324,000 people around the world. It has manufacturing operations in 32 countries and its vehicles are sold in 200 countries. In 2004, GM sold nearly 9 million cars and trucks globally, up 4 percent and the second-highest total in the company’s history. GM’s global headquarters are at the GM Renaissance Center in Detroit.

The GM Group of global partners includes Fiat Auto SpA of Italy, Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd., Isuzu Motors Ltd. and Suzuki Motor Corp. of Japan, which are involved in various product, powertrain and purchasing collaborations. In addition, GM is the largest shareholder in GM Daewoo Auto & Technology Co. of South Korea. GM also has technology collaborations with BMW AG of Germany and Toyota Motor Corp. of Japan, and vehicle manufacturing ventures with several automakers around the world, including Toyota, Suzuki, Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp. of China, AVTOVAZ of Russia and Renault SA of France.

Ford Motor Company entered the business world on June 16, 1903, when Henry Ford and 11 business associates signed the company’s articles of incorporation. With $28,000 in cash, the pioneering industrialists gave birth to what was to become one of the world’s largest corporations. Few companies are as closely identified with the history and development of industry and society throughout the 20th century as Ford Motor Company.

Established in 1948, Honda Motor Co., Ltd., is one of today’s leading manufacturers of automobiles and the largest manufacturer of motorcycles in the world. The Company is recognized internationally for its expertise and leadership in developing and manufacturing a wide variety of products that incorporate Honda’s highly efficient internal combustion engine technologies, ranging from small general-purpose engines to specialty sports cars.

DaimlerChrysler is unique in the automotive industry: the product portfolio ranges from small cars to sports cars and luxury sedans; and from versatile vans to heavy duty trucks or comfortable coaches. DaimlerChryslers’ passenger car brands include Maybach, Mercedes-Benz, Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge and smart. Commercial vehicle brands include Mercedes-Benz, Freightliner, Sterling, Western Star, Setra and Mitsubishi Fuso. It offers financial and other automotive services through DaimlerChrysler Services.

DaimlerChrysler’s strategy rests on four pillars: global presence, strong brands, broad product range, and technology leadership. DaimlerChrysler has a global workforce and a global shareholder base. With 384,723 employees, DaimlerChrysler achieved revenues of EUR 142.1 billion (USD 192.3 billion) in 2004.

Toyota Motor Corporation is one of the world’s leading automakers, offering a full range of models, from minivehicles to large trucks. Global sales of its Toyota and Lexus brands, combined with those of Daihatsu and Hino, totaled 6.78 million units in CY2003. Besides its own 12 plants and 11 manufacturing subsidiaries and affiliates in Japan, Toyota has 51 manufacturing companies in 26 countries/locations, which produce Lexus- and Toyota-brand vehicles and components. As of March 2004, Toyota employs 264,000 people worldwide (on a consolidated basis), and markets vehicles in more than 140 countries. Automotive business, including sales finance, accounts for more than 90% of the company’s total sales, which came to a consolidated $17.29 trillion in the fiscal year to March 2004. Diversified operations include telecommunications, prefabricated housing and leisure boats.