Toyota is rapidly becoming the most reluctant major car maker when it comes to the EV transition. The brand maintains that there will be plenty of room for non-electric newcomers in the coming years.
Toyota relies on hybrids for the time being. The brand has never made a secret of this, but Toyota confirmed this worldview today in a shareholders’ meeting. Automotive News caught that, according to board member Shigeki Terashi, it’s “too early” for a full focus on EVs, as seems to be happening with some other brands. “Some people love electric cars, but others don’t find the current technology user-friendly. Ultimately, it comes down to what the customer wants,” adds Technology boss Masahiko Maeda.
If a Toyota CEO says that, that in itself is reason enough to take it seriously. After all, Toyota is once again the largest car manufacturer in the world and therefore deserves some respect. Moreover, as a global player, the brand may have a slightly different world view than the average European. After all, Toyota also sells a lot of cars in America, the Middle East and Asia, and the EV flag is very different in those regions.
This reticent attitude does not alter the fact that Toyota is also working hard on EVs and electric platforms. The main difference with many competitors is that the Japanese brand has for the time being refrained from a vision of the future in which only EVs occur. So no ‘fully electric in 2030’ from Toyota City, but a more moderate vision of the future in which there is room for all known drive types, including hydrogen and hybrid technology.