May 3, 2023 – Yesterday White House advisor John Podesta said that Toyota Motor Corp. is “fully committed” to electrifying its fleet, according to a Reuters report.
Response from Greenpeace East Asia Deputy Program Director Ada Kong:
“We are glad to see that Toyota recognizes the inevitability of electrification. However, the timeline and scope are critical. In the face of a fast-electrifying auto market, Toyota CEO Koji Sato must announce a global phase out of combustion engine vehicles, including hybrids, effective by 2030.
For too long, Toyota has relied on a hybrid-first strategy while its rivals have raced toward electrification. But hybrids are far from the most climate-friendly technology on the market. As new climate legislation goes into effect, automakers that fail to move beyond hybrids will be left in the dust. Nowhere is this more true than in China, where Toyota is ceding market share to electric-focused rivals like BYD.
Likewise, the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) is catalyzing EV sales in the US. Toyota has only released one full electric vehicle in the US over the last two decades, and none of its models qualify for IRA tax credits. Toyota’s rivals, including Hyundai-Kia and General Motors, have announced investments in US battery plants that far exceed those of Toyota, positioning them both to reap IRA tax credits and to rapidly scale up EV production. If Toyota hopes to avert the most catastrophic impacts of climate change, as well as to protect its business, it must target a 2030 combustion engine vehicle phase-out.”
Media Contact
Erin Newport, International Communications Officer, Greenpeace East Asia, Taipei, +886 958 026 791, [email protected]