Toyota's chairman claimed electric cars are actually worse for the environment than hybrids

The claim by Toyota’s chairman that electric cars are actually worse for the environment than hybrids has caused some controversy among automakers and EV fans.

Akio Toyoda, Toyota’s chairman, mentioned that due to the infrastructure in Japan, one EV in the country creates the same level of emissions as three hybrid vehicles.

While studies have shown that air pollution has decreased in cities with high uptake, there is still a debate about whether pure EVs or hybrids are the way to go.

The reality is slightly more complicated than Toyoda’s statement. Because it’s not only where your vehicles are built and driven in, but also how you drive and charge them.

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In a recent bold statement by Akio Toyoda, Toyota’s chairman, claimed that one electric car creates the equivalent emissions levels as three hybrids.

It seems like an age-old question of whether an electric vehicle is truly greener than a gas engine.

But as the world has turned towards pro-environmental alternatives, there’s more of a debate over whether EVs or hybrids are better.

The reasoning behind Toyoda’s statement comes down to the location of Toyota’s headquarters – Japan – and the automaker’s ‘multi-pathway’ approach.

The brand’s multi-pathway approach uses a number of powertrains in its cars. They include different types of hybrids, hydrogen-powered cells, and ultra-efficient petrol engines, alongside pure electric cars.

In the statement, Toyot’s chairman said:

“We have sold some 27 million hybrids. Those hybrids had the same impact as 9 million BEVs [battery EVs] on the road,”

The reason for this seems to be Japan’s unique location, because he followed with a further statement.

“But if we were to have made 9 million BEVs in Japan, it would have actually increased the carbon emissions, not reduced them. That is because Japan relies on thermal power plants for electricity.”

Different media sites have taken the automaker’s chairman’s comments and run with them, using them as a way to definitively prove that EVs are worse for the environment than hybrids.

Japan’s electricity comes from fossil fuels, so Toyoda was specifically referencing his company’s circumstances, rather than other countries, which have their own electricity sources.

The ultimate truth is that electric cars very quickly pay off their carbon debt after purchase. Whereas a car that’s even partially fueled by gas will not.

Of course, an EV being frequently recharged and driving short distances in stop-start traffic will be less efficient and environmentally friendly than a hybrid on a long open road.

That, though, boils down to specific circumstances.

So, yes, Toyoda did say hybrids are more environmentally friendly than electric cars in one specific instance. But the long-term environmental fallout of electric cars is nothing like that of hybrids.

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