Toyota boss: electric cars are not the solution, “CO2 is the enemy”

Electric cars are faster, cleaner, smoother and quieter. Many therefore think that EVs are the future. Still, Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda says a “silent majority” in the auto industry is questioning whether EVs are the only way forward.

What Toyoda is trying to convey in an interview with the Wall Street Journal is nothing new. According to the CEO, a majority of people in the auto industry are wondering if electric cars are really the only option and the right option right now.

According to Toyota, electric cars are not yet the CO2 solution

“To achieve carbon neutrality, we need to remember that CO2 is the real enemy, not a specific powertrain,” said Toyota’s CEO. “And frankly, BEVs are not the only way to achieve the global goals of carbon neutrality.”

Toyoda points out that his brand isn’t just opting for electric cars. Electric vehicles, (plug-in) hybrids and hydrogen fuel cell cars are all CO2-reducing options. Toyota is therefore committed to all of these powertrains. “Selling electric cars is not the only way to become climate neutral,” he emphasizes. According to the Japanese, the correct answer to the CO2 question has not yet been found. Until there is a way to drive and produce in a completely climate-neutral manner, it is inconvenient to rule out powertrains that are less harmful to the environment.

Electric vehicle regulations

While Toyota may argue that EVs are just one of the solutions for carbon neutral driving in the future, there are many laws and regulations already encouraging car buyers to buy an electric car.

In the Netherlands, for example, you will not pay road tax on an electric vehicle until 2024. Are electric cars exempt from BPM and do you pay less extra for an electric vehicle? Click here to read all of the 2023 driving tax rules.