(Jalopnik) While the 20th century was the age of the gas engine, the 21st will be the age of the electric vehicle.
Just about every automaker on the planet is pivoting to EVs. Billions are being thrown at vehicle and battery development. Billions more on the infrastructure needed to charge these vehicles. But not everyone in the industry is sold on EVs. Specifically, Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda who the Wall Street Journal reports is still on the fence about going all-in on EVs.
While most automakers have been laying out their future EV plans, Toyota has seemed to remain committed to hybrids and hydrogen. Toyoda says that EVs shouldn’t be the only path forward. Hybrids and hydrogen, he believes,are great alternatives, especially as EV prices remain high — something Toyota pointed out. Toyoda says that he has tried to convince both industry and government officials of this and described the efforts as tiring.
Some in the industry agree with him as the Journal pointed out.
Executives at both Nissan and Mazda have voiced skepticism on whether or not jumping all-in on EVs was too rushed or the right answer. Nissan CEO Makoto Uchida admitted the company may have been too aggressive with the first gen of the Leaf; Mazda has taken a more blatant and skeptical stance regarding EVs:
