Toyota and Stellantis get a big fail from Greenpeace. The organization has rated a number of automakers for their environmental efforts. Only Renault, Volkswagen and General Motors get a meager pass.
Greenpeace has looked at ten manufacturers’ efforts to decarbonise the auto industry. This includes the supply chain (how carbon neutral is it?), but also the sustainability of the materials used. An important aspect of the investigation is whether a manufacturer has specified a date for the phasing out of the fuel engine. The score for this counts for 80 percent in the final result.
Toyota lobbies hard against environmental regulations
And partly because of this, Toyota is at number one. The Japanese group is far from wanting to say goodbye to fuel cars (the first electric Toyota has only just been unveiled) and is lobbying hard worldwide to get strict environmental measures off the table. None of the manufacturers in the study want to stop using the combustion engine before 2035. And Greenpeace takes that seriously. According to the organization, this is crucial to stay within the margin of 1.5 degrees of global warming.
Why does General Motors score so well?
It will depend on the design of the study, but we are surprised at some of the conclusions. General Motors, for example, comes out on top. And that while the group is putting one fuel-guzzling pick-up / SUV on the road in North America. In addition, GM is lagging far behind when it comes to electric drive. Hyundai and Kia, however, get an insufficient, while those brands are fully committed to electric models.