President Akio Toyoda - electric cars are not as "clean" as people think

Toyota continues to warn against the trend of using only electric cars. Recently, President Akio Toyoda said that electric cars are not as "clean" as people think.

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Electric cars are dominating China , but for Toyota, they’re not the best way forward. While other automakers are sprinting toward full electrification, Toyota is holding its ground, cautiously expanding its electric lineup while doubling down on hybrids.

President Akio Toyoda - electric cars are not as "clean" as people think.

Despite recent moves in China with a broader bZ lineup, Toyota has faced criticism for its relatively slow rollout of electric vehicles. But President Akio Toyoda has remained steadfast in his refusal to race toward electric vehicles.

In a recent interview with Automotive News, Toyoda said, “When the term carbon neutrality became popular, we said that our enemy is carbon. We have to focus on what we can do immediately to reduce carbon dioxide. That was the basis for our decision. It has not changed and will not change.”

Toyoda claims Toyota's 27 million hybrids are equivalent to the carbon impact of 9 million electric cars.

Toyoda also pointed to Toyota's history with hybrids . "We've sold about 27 million hybrids," he said. "Those hybrids have the same impact as 9 million BEVs on the road. But if we produce 9 million BEVs in Japan, the reality is that carbon emissions will increase, not decrease. That's because Japan relies on thermal power plants to generate electricity."

While the Toyota president didn’t break down the math behind those numbers, it’s clear he wanted to make the point that electric vehicles aren’t a perfect solution. Sure, battery-powered electric vehicles don’t emit tailpipe emissions, but that’s only part of the equation.

The environmental impact of manufacturing electric vehicles and generating the electricity to charge them tells a more complicated story. Add to that the uneven state of charging infrastructure in many areas, and it’s why hybrids still make sense, at least for now.

Toyota has been developing hybrid vehicles since the first Prius in 1997.

Toyota has deep roots in hybrid vehicle development dating back to the first Prius in 1997. Since then, hybrids have grown to become a major part of the company’s global sales. Today, hybrid variants are offered on virtually every Toyota model. Demand is particularly strong in markets like Europe and North America, where self-charging hybrids are often seen as a more practical, less committed step toward electrification.

And while electric vehicles continue to gain market share, there’s still a significant segment of buyers who remain unconvinced (due to cost, range concerns, or lack of infrastructure). Toyota seems content to cater to that group.

Toyoda's multi-pronged approach includes more than just hybrid vehicles.

Toyoda’s multipronged approach goes beyond hybrids. He also advocates plug-in hybrids, hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, battery electric vehicles, and even internal combustion engines powered by synthetic fuels. For Toyota, it’s not about betting on a single type of vehicle, but about keeping all options open.

Last year, he made headlines when he suggested that even in the long term, fully electric vehicles would only account for 30% of global sales. He also warned that a sudden shift to an all-electric future could put 5.5 million jobs in Japan at risk.

Source: https://khoahocdoisong.vn/chu-tich-akio-toyoda-oto-dien-khong-sach-nhu-moi-nguoi-lam-tuong-post270382.html