Toyota's US CEO Still Believes EVs Are Much About Nothing - Care To Set Him Straight?

Toyota has alway stated hybrids and BEV's are stepping stone to hydrogen, the real solution for future mobility. They don't seem to have moved from this position.

Toyota did the same thing with turbo chargers; talking them down as little as a year before they launched their own.

They have a task force for EV cars being led by Akio himself. They certainly are aware that of the risks that EVs pose to their business. Definitely are not the kind of company to just sit around and wait to see how the market reacts.

I doubt they'll launch any before they are sufficiently profitable though. They are very good at making money for a reason.

I don't think Toyota will embrace battery electric vehicle until after the 2020 Olympics. Japan has committed to showcasing its technology and the hydrogen economy in particular.
At this time, many believe that Toyota's gigantic Spindle Grills are paving the way for hydrogen.
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Most everything they do they find success... I agree w/him. As long as gas is cheap alternatives are “alternatives “... poor GM & Cadillac, Mark Reuss says EVs are Caddy’s last chance. Problem is their offering will be only 70-80% of what it should be.

He is dead wrong. Good thing (for Toyota) that he doesn't have final say on product development. Akio Toyoda knows that EVs are the future in most developed markets. They have proposed hydrogen for Japan because Japan has limited electric generation capacity (especially after their Nuclear shutdown).

Seems very short sighted. Playing catch up may be extremely difficult once other majors establish a strong foothold.

It's an odd statement and an odd stance. Even if you think EVs are crap, you pretend you love them like VW is doing.

At this time, he's right. EVs are a tiny, fringe market. That's a fact. So fighting over a tiny EV slice of the automotive pie does not make much sense... today.

Equally true is that EV technology -- drivetrains and batteries -- are advancing at a breakneck pace. And EV unit sales are increasing, as is their market share. Charging points are becoming more plentiful, and the old EV fears of range anxiety and recharge times are gradually melting away. EVs today make a fine second car for many families, and they're getting even better.

Add to that: EV manufacturers are catering to a broader audience, including folks who want a "regular" car that happens to be electric, rather than a quirkily styled and strangely featured product that feels alien to a gasser driver, and looks weird.

Although EVs are fringe products today, all signs are pointing to mass EV adoption within most drivers' lifetimes. It would be a shame if Toyota ignored that, and was caught with their pants down. If that happens, Toyota will look like a steam-only automaker in the "Roaring Twenties."

I do not disagree with his sentiment. He is saying that the switch is not going to happen as fast as some people believe. He is correct. EVs are only 1 percent of total NA sales and 1/3 of a percent of global sales.
EVs may be the future, but it will take a long time and about a trillion $ in infrastructure for this to happen.

Blackberry..."people still want physical keyboards."

Amen

I think you can say now as it stands EV's are still a small percentage of sales. However there is a lot of money being thrown at EV technology and battery technology. Ultimately it has to be down to infrastructure. Once that's in place in sufficient volume and the 80% charging time is down to 15 minutes there will be a lot more people that will start to switch over.