Toyota Group boss Akio Toyoda still has serious doubts about an all-electric future for the car industry and, he says, a “silent majority” too. This expression refers to the automotive industry which would market electric cars, only to follow the trend.
Toyota and electric cars are not really a long love story. Or at least not yet. Indeed, the Japanese manufacturer has long been quite resistant to this technology, for various more or less legitimate reasons, but Toyota especially believes more in its hybrid technology, which has already been worn down for almost two decades. and still far ahead of the competition.
However, the manufacturer has made the obvious. On several markets, and in the first place Europe, Toyota will no longer be able to sell thermal models and, therefore, hybrids. A somewhat forced switch to electric for Toyota, which is only beginning to develop a range of 100% electric models, with a fairly chaotic start to say the least.
Toyota still skeptical
But 100% electric for Toyota, and in particular its president, Akio Toyoda, is not necessarily the miracle solution in the future to necessarily solve all the concerns related to the environment around the automotive industry.
In an interview given to Thai journalists and highlighted by the wall street journalAkio Toyoda said: “People involved in the automotive industry are largely a silent majority. This silent majority wonders if it is really acceptable to have electric vehicles as the only option for the future. But they think that’s the trend, so they can’t necessarily express themselves the way they would like.”.
General Motors, Stellantis, Ford… They have all taken the lead in announcing a date from which their range will become 100% electric. Toyota prefers to stick to a strategy of investing in a diversified range of vehicles that includes hydrogen cars and hybrids.
Toyota also announced its collaboration with the Thai group Charoen Pokphand to produce hydrogen and introduce delivery trucks running on this energy in the fleet of the Thai conglomerate.
An expanding range
“As many governments move to subsidize and tax the sale of electric vehicles, automakers have been pressured to compete on electric vehicle sales targets”said Akio Toyoda.
“Vehicles, like hybrids, can and will continue to help reduce emissions today. This is more effective than setting targets for electric vehicles that will or will not be met in the future. It’s about doing what can be done now”. Remember in this regard that Toyota thinks that a hybrid car is almost as clean ecologically speaking as an electric car.
Even if the electric and Toyota, it is not (yet) the great love, the manufacturer however revealed a year ago an investment plan of up to $35 billion for the deployment of its range of 100% electric models until 2030. Several investments have also been announced for the construction of factories in the United States.
The manufacturer has also just presented a concept car that foreshadows the future bZ2X, a 100% electric pick-up and a new sedan, for the moment intended for the Chinese market, the bZ3.
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