David W. Hermance was an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 automotive engineer

Engineer

An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...

 called the "American father of the Prius." According to Automotive News

Automotive News

Automotive News is a weekly newspaper written for 65,000 automotive retailers, suppliers and manufacturers. It is based in Detroit and owned by Crain Communications Inc. The brand has a team of more than 50 editors and reporters worldwide.- History :...

, Hermance was considered the top American executive for alternative fuel

Alternative fuel

Alternative fuels, known as non-conventional or advanced fuels, are any materials or substances that can be used as fuels, other than conventional fuels...

 vehicles.

David Weston Hermance was born in Logansport, Indiana

Logansport, Indiana

Logansport is a city in and the county seat of Cass County, Indiana, United States. The population was 18,396 at the 2010 census. Logansport is located in northern Indiana, at the junction of the Wabash and Eel rivers, northeast of Lafayette.-History:...

 to Keith Weston Hermance and Margaret "Peg" Johnstone Hermance. David Hermance earned a Bachelor of Science

Bachelor of Science

A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...

 degree in engineering from the General Motors Institute

Kettering University

Kettering University is a university in Flint, Michigan, offering degrees in engineering, math, science, and business. The campus is located along the Flint River on property that used to be the main manufacturing location for General Motors...

. He joined General Motors

General Motors

General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...

 in 1965 and served in a variety of roles in the Vehicle Emissions Laboratory from 1971-1985. From 1985 to 1991, Hermance served as Department Head for Durability
Test Development at General Motors. He was a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers.

Toyota and hybrids

Hermance joined Toyota Technical Center (TTC) in 1991 as Senior Manager in Engine Evaluation, with responsibility for evaluating North America

North America

North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...

n passenger car engines. In 1992, he was promoted to General Manager of the Powertrain

Powertrain

In a motor vehicle, the term powertrain or powerplant refers to the group of components that generate power and deliver it to the road surface, water, or air. This includes the engine, transmission, drive shafts, differentials, and the final drive...

 Department in Gardena, California

Gardena, California

Gardena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 58,829 at the 2010 census, up from 57,746 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Gardena is located at ....

 where he was responsible for the development of engine and drivetrain calibrations for the North American market.

At TTC, Hermance went on to become Executive Engineer for Advanced Technology Vehicles. Widely considered the most knowledgeable person in the United States on the subject of hybrid vehicles, Hermance was responsible for advanced technology vehicle communication for the North American market and advanced technology vehicle emission regulatory activities in California. He was recognized as an eloquent and persuasive spokesman, both in explaining to the public and regulators complex hybrid technology, its advantages and limitations, in lay terms, and with persuading Toyota that the American public would buy hybrid cars in large numbers only if performance and size were not sacrificed.

Interviewed in 2004, Hermance said his championing of the Prius was environmentally motivated, adding, "I'm convinced global warming

Global warming

Global warming refers to the rising average temperature of Earth's atmosphere and oceans and its projected continuation. In the last 100 years, Earth's average surface temperature increased by about with about two thirds of the increase occurring over just the last three decades...

 is real, and that if we're not principally responsible, we're at least contributing to that." http://www.hybridcars.com/history/hermance-toyota-hybrid-guru.html In July of 2006, Hermance testified before the United States House Committee on Government Reform

United States House Committee on Government Reform

The Committee on Oversight and Government Reform is a United States House of Representatives committee that has existed in varying forms since 1816....

 on the topic: "Hybrid Cars: Increasing Fuel Efficiency and Reducing Oil Dependence."

Death

Hermance was an avid pilot

Aviator

An aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...

 and flew his Russia

Russia

Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...

n Yak-55  aerobatic airplane regularly in aerobatic competition at the Intermediate level. Hermance died on November 25, 2006 while flying an Interavia E-3 off the California coast. Engine failure is not believed to be the cause of the crash.