In this industry that seems to have its course marked towards total electrification, Akio Toyoda's voice sounds different.

The president of Toyota, one of the most influential companies in the automotive world, has once again expressed his reservations in the face of the almost unanimous support for electric vehicles (EVs). In a recent intervention, the Japanese executive questioned whether EVs are really as sustainable as claimed.

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According to Toyoda, the problem is not the vehicles themselves, but the context in which they are used. "If Japan had produced nine million electric cars, carbon emissions would have increased, not decreased," he said.

The reason: approximately 70% of electricity in Japan comes from fossil sources such as coal and gas. Under these conditions, he explained, "an EV emits as much CO2 as three hybrids when charged with electricity generated from fossil fuels."

These statements are not new in the Toyota leader's speech, but they gain strength at a time when many governments are strongly promoting electrification through subsidies and regulations.

For Toyoda, the accelerated imposition of this technology could generate unintended consequences: more emissions in certain regions and massive job losses in the traditional automotive industry.

Hybrids still have a useful life

Far from rejecting the need for an energy transition, Toyoda is committed to a more flexible approach. Toyota, it's worth remembering, was a pioneer in electrification with the launch of the Prius in 1997, a model that has sold more than 27 million units worldwide.

Today, the manufacturer defends the validity of plug-in hybrids (PHEV) and conventional (HEV), especially in markets where the energy mix remains highly polluting.

This position has generated criticism from environmental sectors and direct competitors, but Toyoda supports his argument with concrete studies.

One of them, prepared by the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT), concluded that in countries such as Poland, India or Japan itself, electric vehicles can have a carbon footprint up to 50% higher than hybrids, due to the composition of their electrical networks.

The manufacturer itself has data that reinforces this perspective. The Aygo X, Toyota’s smallest urban model, is promoted as the “non-plug-in car with the lowest CO? emissions on the market”, with an average of just 93 g/km.

For Toyoda, this is evidence that there is still room to improve internal combustion engines in parallel with the development of new technologies.

Diversification as a strategy

Faced with the electric offensive led by manufacturers such as Tesla or BYD, Toyota is being cautious.

Instead of completely focusing on a single technology, it has opted for a multi-track strategy: maintaining its leadership in hybrids, exploring hydrogen, improving the efficiency of combustion engines and launching electric vehicles with moderation.

In 2023, the Japanese company sold 10.5 million vehicles, consolidating its position as the world’s largest manufacturer for the fifth consecutive year. This success is based on a balanced range:

A market that is not uniform

Toyoda insists that a one-size-fits-all strategy is a mistake. “The future includes hydrogen, synthetic fuels, and improved combustion engines,” he asserted. From his perspective, the local energy context should determine the type of technology promoted.

In other words, what works in Norway—where almost all electricity comes from renewable sources—cannot be applied equally in India or South Africa, where coal-fired power plants remain the foundation of the electricity system.

Therefore, the president of Toyota does not share the vision of total electrification in the coming decades. “EVs will never exceed 30% of the global market,” he stated.

In his opinion, forcing the market to follow this path without addressing the energy and economic realities of each region could be counterproductive for the environment and the automotive industry as a whole.