Following an executive’s rant in defense of Toyota‘s carbon reduction initiatives and long-term electric vehicle plans, the company is gaining attention in the automotive industry this week. The outrage is caused by criticism that Toyota has received for not committing fully to electric vehicles, according to Electrek.
Many in the sector are betting on electric cars to reduce carbon emissions. However, despite the enormous demand that is emerging in every major market, Toyota remains committed to its stance that it should not rush into electrification.
In fact, the demand for electric vehicles is so enormous that mostly all automakers have resorted to a preorder system to manage it. The International Energy Agency (IEA) reports that after nearly doubling in 2021 to 6.6 million, electric vehicle sales are expected to set a new record this year.
In response, the IEA reports that “deployment of publicly available EV charging points increased by close to 40% in 2021.”
Furthermore, incentives from the federal government should significantly increase this figure in 2022. The National Electric Vehicle (NEVI) Formula Program will offer $5 billion in funding, according to the US Department of Transportation. Notably, this is a component of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act, which calls for the development of electric vehicle charging infrastructures throughout the United States for the next five years.
Toyota’s first endeavor at a 100% electric vehicle (bZ4X) was not entirely successful and had to be withdrawn because the wheels were falling off. However, they started selling the bZ4X again earlier this month.
Toyota’s CEO stated to reporters two weeks ago that the company would continue to pursue a hybrid strategy. He believed “playing to win means playing with all the cards in the deck.” That said, he meant to offer electric vehicles, hybrids, and fuel cell alternatives. Another executive expressed the same ideas and even justified the company’s current state of development.
Going back to the issue that leads to the headline, a Toyota Executive reportedly gets heated defending Toyota’s electric vehicle plans.
Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Toyota Motor Australia, Sean Hanley, spoke during the launch of the Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid in Sydney.
Concerns about the company’s ambitions to reduce its carbon footprint and its (lack of) progress with electric vehicles seemed to provoke a reaction while speaking to the media. Hanley remarked, “Toyota is not opposed to battery-electric vehicles. We believe that to get to carbon neutrality, you have to take everyone on the journey.”
He added, “We believe that you have to have a diverse range of technologies to get there. The point is this: carbon is the enemy here, not the powertrain.”
Mr. Hanley goes on to say that Toyota believes carbon neutrality must be attained and is in “full support of some mandated type of legislation” for cutting carbon emissions. But, to use Hanley’s words, “What we’re disagreeing on is … how and when you get there.”
He then focused his attention on Toyota’s critics. He also acknowledged the automaker’s initiatives to use hybrid vehicles to lower carbon emissions in Australia since 2001.
“We are the only car company that represents 30 percent of our sales that are hybrid right now. That is playing a role in reducing (emissions).”
As per Toyota’s estimations, three hybrid vehicles are “almost equal” to one electric car. This is when comparing the amount of carbon emissions that Australia’s 300,000 hybrid vehicles produced to roughly 90,000 EVs.
It is no doubt that Toyota has made an enormous contribution to cutting carbon emissions over the last 21 years with its hybrid offerings. However, hybrids were not entirely the answer to the current environmental issues, which Toyota seems to not realize.
