Toyota talks tough on EVs: "We'd rather buy credits than waste money"

01 March 2024
Toyota's CEO isn't convinced about EVs and would rather buy emission credits than invest heavily in electric vehicles.

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  • Reality...

Anonymous, 03 Mar 2024It's interesting that nobody talks about where the minerals for electric batteries come f... moreYou posted some very valid points and I'm sorry to see the replies in denial from the usual EV evangelists.

Basically, EVs failed. The only reason people (other than the said ev evangelists ) bought them was the financial incentives provided. Now that thise have been removed, they're going back to vehicles that they can consider as a long term investment ( looking at 15+ years of use) with basic maintenance.

An ICE, with routine maintenance, will last a good 15 years (obviously not talking about the lemons).

And EV otoh, even with the nest care given to it , will have battery pack degradation in about 8 to 10 years time. Will require a new battery pack every time that happens and manufactures will keep on having to mine for Lithium amd other metals just to keep up the production (recycling still isn't big as proven by the Hyun**I battery pack case ).

  • Reality...

Fearghast, 03 Mar 2024"Nobody talks about where the minerals for electric batteries come from" They explo... moreWow...
Posts an even longer reply, yet states that no one has the time to read (long posts)???

Oh the irony....

  • Reality...

Anonymous, 04 Mar 2024its only politics.. Toyota together with the other japanese and american brands lost, ugly, th... moreActually they very carefully observed how the American and European manufactures went all in , into EV manufacturing and failed to sell their EVs, how the EVs failed badly during any harsh environmental events, especially during the winter, took the increased insurance costs for EVs which the public weren't happy with and finally the most important thing, the dislike of the majority of people towards the EVs!!
We must remember that Toyota is a company that's here to do business and that they are NOT the climate- protection police!! They want to sell vehicles and they're giving what the public wants while managing their fleet emissions.

And lastly, after reading the comments here, I got the impression that most are keyboard warriors that never leave their room to step outside or work in an IT environment with a sheer ignorance towards hiw thw restbof the world functions!!

When one can afford only ONE vehicle for their work commute amd family transportation with no chance of charging at home, EVs are NOT the most practical solution. You only have to loom at how badly the super charger networks failed during the cold, storms during about 2 months ago!! They literally had to bring in diesel generators to make power to charge the EVs and use diesel trucks to remove battery dead EVs from the road!!

Electric motors are most efficient at lower speeds whereas the ICEs are most efficient at near highway speed limits (80-100lmh). Best case would be to combine both to use each tech at its most efficient speed range and guess what , we already have those aka the traction/ 'normal' hybrids!! (Toyota prius , corolla cross etc)!!

Why go to eother extreme when we can take the middle path which offers the best of both techs with the least amount of compromises , and especially without the risk of getting stranded in difficult weather???

The main reason Toyota is not big on EVs is that they figured out this simple truth which used to be common sense bit isn't so common anymore.

Toyota were and still are among the pioneers of battery tech and to say that they "fell behind" is just laughable....

  • Anonymous

Anonymous, 03 Mar 2024I think he's probably right. Unless you live in an optimal climate like California (whic... moreAmericans never cared about environment do you? They are the biggest energy consumer and should be sanctioned only for that!

  • Anonymous

its only politics.. Toyota together with the other japanese and american brands lost, ugly, thats why Toyota thinks its a waste of money on EVs.

  • gundulpacul

His statement reminds me of the old nokia. They sticked on using symbian instead of embracing android. And the rest is history. Anyone heard xiaomi at that time? Now BYD and other unnamed brands are waiting on the horizon just like xiaomi at those days..

  • Anonymous

Anonymous, 03 Mar 2024It's interesting that nobody talks about where the minerals for electric batteries come f... moreChina is innovating every step of the way. Sure there are makers that go bankrupt or close but... isn't that how markets are supposed to work? US loves to bailout their corpos, including the ones that cause global financial crisis.

EVs are suddenly concerning because Japan, along with the US, got left behind. Remember how they used to talk about the environment blah blah and how US govt signed laws favorable to Tesla?

Anonymous, 03 Mar 2024It's interesting that nobody talks about where the minerals for electric batteries come f... more"Nobody talks about where the minerals for electric batteries come from"
They exploit countries with fewer regulations. And pretty much everyone is throwing money to reach better situation.
"Nobody talks about the high energy these vehicles create and the reasons for fire."
EV do not catch fire as often as ICE vehicles. That concern is simply old media hysteria.
"Nobody talks about the weight of these vehicles and the impact they have on roads, tires."
The weight is comparable to ICE vehicles - Tesla Model 3 LR weights about 1800 kg. Tires are the same, the problem is tuning the power delivery - if you full throttle EV all the time, tires will not keep up. Average American car is much more heavy than anything that drives in Europe.
"Nobody wants to talk about power failures during a hurricane."
EVs can often act as a backup generator for homes in these times.
"Nobody wants to talk about what happens to the batteries at the end of their life."
They are used in backup / storage devices - for example, charging stations with weak infrastructure. Batteries for solar.
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Nobody wants to read or listen.

  • Anonymous

It's interesting that nobody talks about where the minerals for electric batteries come from. Nobody talks about the high energy these vehicles create and the reasons for fire. Nobody talks about the weight of these vehicles and the impact they have on roads, tires. Nobody wants to talk about power failures during a hurricane. Nobody wants to talk about what happens to the batteries at the end of there life.

The question is does electric vehicles really save the planet. Or do we need to improve our transit system so that more people can travel.

  • Anonymous

pushing ev will be just like the Biden govt , a complete disaster l.

  • Anonymous

I think he's probably right. Unless you live in an optimal climate like California (which also has the most/best charging infrastructure), EV's just don't make sense for a lot of Americans.

Personally, I've been driving a hybrid since 2011 and will purchase a plug-in hybrid next. The EV range will cover my normal commute and when I need to go further, I'll have an efficient gas/hybrid to get me there, even on the coldest days of winter.

  • Anonymous

I have a RAV4 Hybrid and it's the best car I've ever had. I get 40 mpg reliably and it can haul whatever I need. Plus it is comfortable, reliable, and relatively cheap.

The synergy drive is a work of art

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