The Toyota Perspective
Akio Toyoda, the former President and CEO of Toyota and now the chairman of its board, is more than just a corporate figure in the automotive world. He’s a racing enthusiast and even takes on the track under the name “Morizo Kinoshita.” This passion for motorsport isn’t just a hobby; it reflects in the development of Toyota’s vehicles too. Remember the Toyota GR Corolla Morizo Edition? That car partly owes its moniker to his racing persona, showing that Toyoda’s racing influence is alive and well in Toyota’s lineup.
EV Skepticism
Despite the automotive industry’s rapid shift towards electric vehicles (EVs), Toyoda remains cautious. In a chat with Automotive News, he expressed his doubts about high-performance EVs, emphasizing a preference for the visceral feel of a roaring engine over the quieter electric motors. He’s not shutting down the idea of Toyota making EV sports cars altogether, but he does suggest it clashes with his personal ideals. He points out that Toyota’s focus is on making cars that are both affordable and reliable—principles he fears might not fully align with the current wave of electric sports cars.
Toyota currently has a single EV on the market in the U.S.: the bZ4x, a crossover developed in collaboration with Subaru. For Toyoda, affordability remains a core tenet, even with electric vehicles. He believes that only when the company can offer budget-friendly EVs will a high-performance electric option make sense.
Driving Excitement
When asked about the excitement of racing an EV, Toyoda’s answer was grounded in practicality. Endurance races, he reckons, would be more about battery life and charging times rather than the thrill of driving skill. For him, current battery technology doesn’t yet fit with the kind of racing that gets the adrenaline pumping.
Future Outlook
It’s not surprising that Toyoda holds a skeptical view of EVs given his track record of emphasizing the importance of hybrids in Toyota’s lineup. During a Toyota event in January 2024, he highlighted that EVs “come as a set with infrastructure,” and many regions where Toyota operates lack reliable electricity access.
Toyoda predicts that EVs might capture only about 30% of the global market share in the future, with hybrid-electric, fuel-cell electric vehicles, and traditional engines filling the gap. He argues that the end consumers and market dynamics, rather than regulations, will ultimately determine the direction automakers take.
Toyoda’s focus remains on carbon reduction across different vehicle types. With Toyota producing over 27 million hybrids, he argues that their environmental impact is comparable to putting 9 million EVs on the road. However, Japan’s reliance on thermal power complicates the carbon calculations for EVs produced domestically.
In all, Toyoda appears to be advocating for a balanced approach, ensuring emotional connections with driving are preserved while meeting environmental goals. Whether it’s developing hybrids or exploring fuel-cell technology, Toyota’s game plan seems driven by a blend of practicality and passion for driving.
