Robert Wimmer currently serves as director of the Energy and Environmental Research Group at Toyota Motor North America (TMA). Since joining Toyota in 2003, he has lead a team of research engineers assessing how changes in energy and environmental technology, policy and regulation will affect the automotive industry. Research areas have included petroleum and alternative fuels, advanced vehicle technologies and power generation.

Wimmer is also responsible for TMA’s hybrid, plug-in electric and fuel cell vehicle external affairs and technical activities, which he coordinates with other Toyota divisions in the U.S. and abroad. Additionally, he manages TMA’s energy collaborations with other corporations, the company’s interaction with the US Department of Energy and a portion of TMA’s university research activities.

Prior to joining Toyota, Wimmer served as the technical director of Fuel Cell Bus Programs at Georgetown University for 12 years. While there, he provided technical and program management oversight during the design, fabrication and testing of five fuel cell/battery hybrid transit buses.

Wimmer has been an active member of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) since 1984. He chaired their Government and Industry Conference in Washington, D.C. and is the chief design judge of the Formula Hybrid SAE intercollegiate competition. He is also on the board of the Fuel Cell & Hydrogen Energy Association, H2USA, Bio-based Industry Center, NextSteps project at UC Davis and the Fuels Institute.
A native of California, Wimmer has a Master of Science in systems management from the University of Southern California and a mechanical engineering degree from California State Polytechnic University in San Luis Obispo, Calif.