What makes Toyota chief sceptical about electric cars

Despite Toyota's push for electric mobility, the automaker's president Akio Toyoda is still doubtful about electric cars. He believes that the silent majority of the auto industry worldwide is still doubtful about electric cars. He also added that to achieve greener mobility solutions, electric vehicles are not the only option, as there are other choices like hybrids and hydrogen-powered cars. Interestingly, this is not the first time Toyoda expressed his doubt about EVs. However, the Japanese auto company is trying to cope with the rising demand and number of EVs worldwide with its own electrification strategy.

While major rivals, including General Motors and Honda, have already set strict timelines for their complete transition to fully electric vehicles, Toyota has stuck to a strategy of investing in a diverse lineup of greener vehicles that includes hydrogen-powered cars and hybrids, which combine batteries with internal combustion engines.

Speaking about the focus on EVs, Toyoda said he is among the auto industry's silent majority in questioning whether electric vehicles should be adopted exclusively, reported the Wall Street Journal. “People involved in the auto industry are largely a silent majority," he said, while further adding, “That silent majority is wondering whether EVs are really OK to have as a single option. But they think it’s the trend, so they can’t speak out loudly."

He also said that the right answer to the question of whether OEMs should focus only on EVs is still unclear. “Because the right answer is still unclear, we shouldn’t limit ourselves to just one option," Toyoda said. The Toyota chief's comment comes at a time when automakers worldwide are making big bets on pure electric vehicles. Car brands worldwide have made huge investments in their EV projects. However, despite the rising demands and OEMs investing more money, challenges are mounting for the manufacturers, especially in securing components and battery raw materials.