Toyota says electric vehicle uptake will be slow

Toyota has said there needs to be a reality check on plans to shift to EVs, saying it may not happen in the next few years.

Australia’s most popular car brand has raised doubts about the ability of the country to convert to electric vehicles within the next decade.

Toyota’s local sales and marketing director, Sean Hanley, has challenged the idea that electric cars are going to be sold en masse in the next few years.

Hanley said the car making giant was not anti-EV, but said the transition to EVs needed to be more gradual.

“We agree you’ve got to get to carbon neutral. All we disagree with is how and when you get there and to be honest some of this belief you can go full electric in 10 years in this country and satisfy the punters, satisfy the owners, satisfy what they want to do in cars is a very difficult proposition,” he said.

Toyota says rapid uptake of electric vehicles isn’t practical. Picture: Supplied

The brand has come under fire from environmentalists including Greenpeace for lagging behind on electric vehicle development, but Hanley defended its record on reducing emissions from its vehicles.

“It’s not that we are opposed to EVs. Toyota is not opposed to BEVs. In fact we are going to launch one in the second half of next year,” he said.

That car is the bZ4X, a RAV4-sized battery powered vehicle that’ll be available in front- and all-wheel drive with a driving range of up to 500km.

“By 2030 every vehicle in our range – apart from GR performance – will have some form of electrification,” he said.

Hanley was speaking at the launch of Toyota’s ninth hybrid vehicle in Australia, the Corolla Cross SUV.

The company has just launched its ninth hybrid vehicle in Australia. Picture: Supplied

Hybrids make up roughly one in three Toyotas sold in Australia and the company has sold more than 300,000 hybrids here since the launch of the Prius in 2001.

Toyota claims this is equal to the C02 savings of 90,000 fully electric vehicles.

“Toyota has been the only brand in the market since 2001 to have a hybrid offering. But now it’s suddenly become a trend setting [technology], well I’d suggest … we played a role in reducing carbon 21 years ago. Not three years ago when it became trendy.”

Electric vehicle advocates say that Toyota globally is lobbying governments to slow down EV take-up and soften vehicle emission targets to shore up sales of hybrids.

The brand says it’s not dragging the chain on electric vehicles. Picture: Supplied

“Toyota is not stopping, lagging, preventing. What other car company can stand up in front of you and give you that low down in Australia? This one can, the leader, that’s who.”

Hanley welcomed the Federal Governments discussion paper on electric vehicle take-up and carbon emissions, which has raised the possibility of a mandated and enforceable CO2 target for the car industry.

“The one thing everyone agrees with is we have to get to a carbon neutral position,” said Hanley.

“We believe you have to have a diverse range of technologies to get [to carbon neutral]. The point’s this, carbon is the enemy here, not the powertrain.”

Hybrids reduce real-world tailpipe emissions by roughly 30 per cent and more in city traffic.

Originally published as Toyota says electric vehicle uptake will be slow