Toyota attacked for asking dealers to lobby MPs about emission laws

The country’s biggest brand has been labelled “cynical” for employing “scare tactics” against the government’s proposed CO2 standards.

Market leader Toyota is urging its dealers to lobby their local Labor MPs to wind back the New Vehicle Emissions Standards proposed by the federal government.

Dealers have been encouraged to write to their local member to voice their concerns with the standards, which aim to reduce tailpipe emissions by 60 per cent over the next five years.

Opponents of the proposed legislation believe the best opportunity to dilute the ambitious targets could lie in the Labor Party room.

They believe some members, particularly those in marginal rural electorates, could become nervous about the legislation as it punishes popular diesel utes with high emissions.

The Toyota move has been labelled as “cynical” by Electric Vehicle Council chief executive Behyad Jafari, who accused the brand of lobbying worldwide to slow the uptake of electric vehicles.

Behyad Jafari, chief executive of the Electric Vehicle Council, has accused Toyota of trying to put the brakes on EV sales. Picture: Supplied.

“It’s an entirely expected cynical move. Toyota is trying to look out for its own profit margins. They’ve been making quite a lot of money treating Australia as a dumping ground for their most inefficient vehicles and they want to continue doing that,” Jafari said.

“They’ve also had some five decades to prepare themselves for a standard like this coming into effect, given that’s how long standards have been in place around the world. To complain now that five decades later, it’s too hard, it stretches credulity.”

A Toyota spokesman defended its advice to dealers.

“It’s not unusual for us to communicate with our dealers about matters that have the potential to impact the business environment in which they operate,” he said.

“Where dealers have shared their concerns, we have encouraged them as independent business owners to raise any concerns with their local members of parliament, which is also consistent with the Australian Automotive Dealer Association’s direction,” he said.

Sean Hanley, Toyota’s vice president of sales, marketing and franchise operations, is broadly supportive of the emissions standards. Picture: Michael Willson/Getty Images).

Toyota’s head of marketing and sales, Sean Hanley, said earlier in the week that Toyota “supports the introduction of a mandatory fuel-efficiency standard that is ambitious, doesn’t leave Australians behind, is calibrated to the Australian market and allows carmakers to determine the appropriate mix of technologies to achieve it”.

But the brand argues that practical and affordable alternatives to work vehicles such as the LandCruiser and HiLux simply don’t exist today.

“Australian consumers have shown they will purchase vehicles that meet their work and lifestyle needs while being practical, capable and affordable – requirements that continue to apply when seeking to reduce their carbon footprint,” Hanley said.

The Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger will fail to meet the new vehicle standards in their current form and will attract stiff penalties. Picture: Mark Bean.

Jafari said Toyota had a track record of lobbying against reductions in tailpipe emissions and using “scare tactics” around the world for several years.

“I think it’s entirely understandable for a global car company to try to lobby for the weakest fuel efficiency standards possible. That’s the role that they’ve played,” he said.

He said Toyota had told dealers it would be able to meet the new standards.

“The difference is whether or not they want to make the standard,” he said.

The new legislation has created an ugly feud within the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries, with the chamber split into one group that supports the standard and another that wants it watered down.

Companies with a large proportion of electric vehicles, including board member Tesla and newcomer BYD, support the standard and stand to make significant profits by selling carbon credits if it is introduced.

Other members, including Ford, Toyota, Mitsubishi and Mazda – whose fleets are dominated by work utes and large SUVs – face huge fines if they are unable to meet the targets.