Akio Toyoda, former CEO and now Chairman of Toyota, has been a vocal critic of an all-electric automotive future for years.
He recently admitted that there is one thing in particular about the transition that stands as his ‘biggest fear.’
The entire discussion is very polarized, and so it’s not always easy to be objective about what he has to say.
But there’s one thing in particular that stood out.
Toyota isn’t super enthusiastic about EVs
Toyota pioneered hybrids and hydrogen cars, but its stance on battery electric vehicles isn’t clear.
The Japanese giant is building EVs, but with less conviction than most.
HGEsch/Toyota/Wikipedia Commons
Akio Toyoda, ex-CEO and now Chairman of Toyota, recently said that if the entire industry shifts to battery-electric vehicles, it would be his ‘biggest fear’.
He has argued for years that the automotive world should not put all its eggs in one basket, and the company has been putting its money where its mouth is.
The Japanese automaker is building everything: FCEVs, BEVs, hybrids, pure combustion – you name it.
And there’s one thing Toyoda said that’s being taken seriously enough.
Does Akio Toyoda have a point?
EV critics say Toyoda is right because they don’t like electric cars.
By contrast, EV ‘evangelists’ question everything he says because it represents the opposite of what they believe.
However, when you filter out personal opinions and politics, one of the things he said is food for thought.
Toyoda has gone on record on several occasions to remind everyone that pollution and emissions are the enemy, not the internal combustion engine.
Some people argue that those two things go together because internal combustion equals emissions.
Ale Renesis/Supercar Blondie
But while data proves that EVs are cleaner even when you include the entire life cycle, his argument is not automatically faulty.
For years, Toyoda was just yelling at the wind.
The entire auto industry was focused on BEVs, and there was no plan B.
Now, several automakers are pivoting again for a number of reasons.
So maybe Toyoda was right all along – time will tell.