‘Silent Majority’ Doubtful About Electric Cars Being the Only Option: Toyota Chief

Toyota President Akio Toyoda gestures at a briefing on electric vehicle battery strategies at the company's showroom in Tokyo, on Dec. 14, 2021. Behrouz Mehri/AFP via Getty Images

Akio Toyoda, president of Toyota Motor Corp., has said that automakers pursuing an electric-only agenda does not reflect the market reality because the technology and infrastructure are yet to mature, while a “silent majority” that align with that perspective can’t speak out.

“People involved in the auto industry are largely a silent majority,” Toyoda told reporters during a visit to Thailand, according to The Wall Street Journal. “That silent majority is wondering whether EVs [electric vehicles] are really OK to have as a single option. But they think it’s the trend so they can’t speak out loudly … Because the right answer is still unclear, we shouldn’t limit ourselves to just one option.”

While other carmakers have been pushing all-EV lineups, Toyota, the biggest automaker in the world, has largely stuck with its policy of focusing on a diverse range of vehicles, including hybrids and hydrogen-powered vehicles.

Toyota insists that hybrids remain a key technology in the current situation as EV vehicles usually tend to be more expensive and the battery charging infrastructure is yet to mature worldwide.

The Toyota chief also pointed out that electric options are not the only way to cut back on carbon emissions, and that hybrid models also provide such benefits. Electric alternatives like hydrogen-powered vehicles are starting to get positive responses from the auto industry and government officials, he noted.

Challenges and Distrust

Charging infrastructure is a key concern for the widespread adoption of EVs. Even in the United States, longer commutes on electric vehicles make less sense given the lack of a robust charging network.

“The coastal areas, the East and West Coast, that’s electrifying much quicker than the interior of the country,” said Volvo CEO Jim Rowan, according to The Wall Street Journal. Plug-in hybrids are important to warm customers up to the technology, he stated.

A survey published in October by the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) found that price sensitivity at the pump had not translated into more interest in EVs. Only half the drivers admitted to having a positive attitude toward such vehicles.

Only one in three drivers said they would consider buying an EV for convenience. Three in five drivers think they will face difficulties charging the electric vehicle outside their home, while 54 percent saw EVs as less reliable when compared to conventional vehicles.

“EVs are undoubtedly an important part of our future, but there is debate about the timeline for adoption,” said Jeff Lenard, NACS vice president of strategic industry initiatives, according to an Oct. 7 news release.

“Today’s drivers of gasoline-powered vehicles express range anxiety because of uncertainty around charging infrastructure availability. This is a valuable opportunity for retailers and others to address and educate future EV consumers.”

US Adoption

Several American states are taking action to push the adoption of electric vehicles and other alternatives to fossil fuel options.

In August, California regulators voted unanimously to approve a plan that will ban the sale of new internal combustion vehicles in the state by 2035. A fifth of the vehicles sold after 2035 can be plug-in hybrids.

This month, Oregon’s Environmental Quality Commission agreed to mandate 100 percent of new, light-duty vehicles sold in the state by 2035 to be zero-emission, which will hit gas-powered vehicle sales. Auto dealers have expressed dissatisfaction with the decision.

“We understand the desire to move towards more environmentally friendly sales of vehicles; however, the consumer demand is not there yet, or even 12 years from now, in 2035,” Greg Remensperger, executive vice president of the Oregon Auto Dealers Association, told The Epoch Times.

“We just don’t think the industry is going to be at a point where it will serve as 100 percent of the consumer demands.”

Beth Brelje contributed to this report.