Akio Toyoda has been persistent in his stance about the EVs not being the silver bullet that many have been claiming
Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda is firm in his belief and commitment with regard to the multi-energy strategy for future automobiles. The Japanese auto giant is famously criticized for its reluctance to go all-electric. Even though it has been championing hybrid cars since the late 1990s, Akio Toyoda has been vocal about his reservations regarding EVs as the sole energy source for future mobility.
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Toyota Chairman Insists On Multi-Energy Approach
Akio Toyoda was recently in conversation with Automotive News. He elaborated on his solid approach of exploring all fuel sources to power the future cars. This includes hydrogen fuel cells, hybrid systems, battery electric vehicles, synthetic fuels, etc. He focuses on the fact that the future mobility has to be carbon-neutral and EVs still draw power from coal-burning sources in most parts of the world. Clearly, that defeats the purpose despite them being zero-tailpipe-emission cars.
He remarked, “When the term carbon neutrality became popular, we said as a company the enemy is carbon. We have to focus on what we can do immediately to reduce carbon dioxide. That is the basis of our decision. It has not changed and will not change.” This goes to show that he is not moved by what the other carmakers are pursuing.
Talking about the hybrid cars being the ideal bridge between ICE and EVs, he said, “We have sold some 27 million hybrids,” he said. “Those hybrids have had the same impact as 9 million BEVs on the road. But if we were to have made 9 million BEVs in Japan, it would have actually increased the carbon emissions, not reduced them. That is because Japan relies on the thermal power plants for electricity.“
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Learn Electric Cars Says
We know that the sales of EVs have been growing constantly over the last couple of years. However, it is not as stark as previously anticipated due to various reasons. Among these, political wars, tariffs, range anxiety, high initial costs, lack of adequate infrastructure, etc., are some of the top factors. Therefore, Toyoda is convinced that even after some years, EVs won’t be in the majority in most international markets. Let us bear witness to how things pan out going forward.