Toyota president warns that "a silent majority" rejects electric cars

Akio Toyoda believes that the political commitment to end combustion-engine vehicles means that critics "can’t speak out."

AkioToyoda, presidente de Toyota / Lexus UK (Flickr).

Published by

José Carlos Rodríguez

20 de diciembre, 2022

Topics:

Toyota's president made statements at a car unveiling in Thailand that demonstrate the auto industry's true sentiments about the policy of eliminating combustion engines:

People involved in the auto industry are largely a silent majority. 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.

In the automobile field, a technological change has coincided with a political one. On the technology side, improved battery performance has extended the range of electric vehicles, which have gained acceptance in the market despite comprising just a tiny minority of the fleet. In the political arena, electric cars are postulated as a cleaner option, although that is currently being questioned.

"We must not limit ourselves"

The pressure from the political side, which is relayed in the media, is what has many in the industry feeling the need to keep quiet. However, Toyoda has made his point to governments and industry stakeholders that having electric vehicles as the only option is a mistake: "Because the right answer is still unclear, we shouldn’t limit ourselves to just one option"

Aside from Toyoda and Toyota, General Motors President Mark Reuss told Fox Business that "The ICE age is not over. We’re not going to abandon our internal combustion engine segments."

Consumer rejection

The truth is that electric cars have certain advantages, but they also have their drawbacks. In fact, until nuclear power or renewable energy becomes more abundant, the electricity used to power these cars is mostly generated by burning hydrocarbons, so the reduction of CO₂ is not complete. Moreover, electric cars require energy all year round. Most charge their electric car at home and at night, when solar power is less available.

In fact, despite the Biden administration's commitment to electric vehicles, only 28% of Americans consider them useful. A poll by Rasmussen Reports shows that 54% of adults find electric cars unpractical, while 18% are unsure. Compared to a similar poll last March, distrust of electric vehicles is increasing. At that time, those who considered them of little use were just 52% of the respondents.