Toyota CEO: Electric Cars Are Dirtier Than You Might Expect

While other automakers push for full electrification, Toyota cautiously expands its electric vehicle lineup and increases hybrid offerings.

Now, Toyota boss Akio Toyoda, known for his strong stance on a multi-energy strategy and scepticism about electric cars, has once again explained why Toyota has not followed competitors in its electrification efforts.

In a recent interview with Automotive News, Akio Toyoda said, “Our main challenge is carbon. We need to focus on reducing CO₂ emissions now. This principle shapes our decisions and won’t change. We’ve sold about 27 million hybrids, which is equivalent to having 9 million electric cars on the road. However, producing 9 million electric cars in Japan would increase carbon emissions, as the country relies on thermal power plants for electricity.”

Although the Toyota president did not elaborate on the math behind those figures, he wanted to show that electric vehicles are not a magic bullet for the climate crisis. Sure, battery-powered electric vehicles offer zero emissions, but that’s only part of the equation

The environmental impact of producing electric vehicles and generating electricity to charge them is an important factor that many people overlook when considering electric cars.

Toyota’s hybrid development began with the original Prius in 1997, and hybrids now account for a significant portion of its global sales. The company offers hybrid variants in nearly all model lines, with strong demand particularly in Europe and North America, where they are seen as a practical step toward electrification.

Toyoda’s strategy includes hybrids, plug-in hybrids, hydrogen fuel cells, battery electric vehicles, and synthetic fuel-powered internal combustion engines. “We must explore all possibilities and work in every direction,” Toyoda said. “Our commitment to fighting CO₂ emissions remains strong.”

This is not new rhetoric from Toyoda. Last year, he made headlines by suggesting that even in the long term, fully electric vehicles would account for a maximum of 30 percent of global sales. He also warned that a sudden shift to electric vehicles could threaten 5.5 million Japanese jobs.

• Also See: Akio Toyoda: “Combustion Engines Still Has A Lot of Potentials”