Regarding the statements, it is worth saying that many investors and environmental groups have long criticized Toyota for being slow to get into battery electric cars. Seeing the ever-increasing global demand, one of the biggest fears of investors is that Toyota will eventually fall behind in the competition behind Tesla, which produces only electric cars, and other major rival automakers.
In the report of Reuters, he points out, despite the advance of electric vehicles equipped with batteries at Toyota, they see this drivetrain technology as only an option, and that gasoline-electric hybrids, such as the pioneering Prius, are a more realistic option for some markets and customers.
Gill Pratt, head of the Toyota Research Institute, told reporters that electric cars can make a positive contribution to climate change mitigation in countries like Norway where renewable energy sources and the right infrastructure are available. However, in other parts of the world where coal is still used primarily for power generation, hybrids may be a better option in terms of overall carbon emissions.
Pratt emphasized that the raw materials and necessary infrastructure for battery production will eventually be available, but this will take decades.
Reuters notes that Toyota, which aims to sell 1.5 million battery electric cars and introduce 10 new all-electric models by 2026, has often argued that hybrid and fuel-cell vehicles are essential to achieving carbon neutrality.
Cover image source: Getty Images
