Toyota Hybrid Cars: Electric vehicles are seen as an environmentally friendly technology. But a recent statement by Toyota President Akio Toyoda has once again started the discussion on this. He has clearly stated that electric vehicles are not as clean and perfect as we think. According to him, the true environmental cost of electric vehicles is often ignored.
Toyoda says that EVs are not just ‘zero emissions’, but there are many hidden pollutions from their production process and use. The mining of metals such as lithium, cobalt and nickel required for EVs has a huge impact on nature. The mining, processing and transportation of these metals result in a huge amount of carbon emissions. Therefore, even though the image of EVs is clean, the reality is different.
What did Akio Toyoda say?
Moreover, if the electricity used to charge an EV is based on coal or other polluting sources, then the vehicle is not environmentally beneficial. Citing the example of Japan, Toyoda said that if EV use increases and electricity is still based on thermal sources, the country’s overall emissions are likely to increase.
Toyota has sold about 27 million hybrid vehicles worldwide so far. According to Toyoda, these hybrid vehicles have reduced carbon emissions by the same amount as EVs, that is, about 9 million electric vehicles. Interestingly, these cars achieve this without a large battery and without charging infrastructure. Hybrid vehicles have a combination of a petrol engine and an electric motor. These vehicles do not require separate charging and are self-charging. This saves up to 40% fuel, which is important for a country like India.
Which cars are beneficial in India?
Toyoda is not completely against EVs, but he believes that various options should be considered to reduce carbon emissions rather than relying on a single technology. According to him, hybrid, plug-in hybrid, hydrogen and EVs should all be used, as each country’s needs and infrastructure are different.
While there is a lot of enthusiasm for EVs in India, the problems are the lack of charging stations, dependence on coal-based power generation and battery imports. Therefore, Toyota India, without launching a full-fledged EV yet, has introduced strong hybrid vehicles like the Urban Cruiser Hyrider and Innova Hycross. These vehicles save up to 40% fuel without the hassle of charging.