<i>Why is Toyota so anti-EV?</i><p>Simple answer --- Lots of Japanese industry, jobs and knowhow are tied to the internal combustion engine and associated mechanics.<p>EVs are mechanically much simpler so they represent a significant amount of job loss for Japan's economy.<p>I have always been a big fan of Toyota products and I still own one. But this same story has been repeated over and over since the start of the industrial revolution. So we know how it ends --- the only viable options are adapt or die.<p>China is full speed ahead and is now the largest EV manufacturer. And the hard truth is, they really couldn't care less about Japan's socioeconomic issues.
To be fair to Japan, they do have great hybrid tech and good transport and appropriately sized cars so they're generally doing okay in the big picture.<p>And some of that hybrid tech translates pretty directly to full EVs as well.<p>Ironically, if their top execs weren't in the news saying crazy shit about EVs all the time I'd assume they had this all in hand and would make a smooth transition to EV.
Top selling vehicles worldwide in 2022:<p>#1 Toyota Corolla<p>#2 Toyota RAV4<p>#5 Toyota Camry<p>#9 Toyota Hilux<p>I guess they don't get it. Surely every country worldwide has the infrastructure for EV ready to go.
The premise of the question is wrong: Toyota isn't anti-EV (ot even anti-BEV).<p>See, e.g.: <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/toyota-invest-8-bln-north-carolina-battery-plant-2023-10-31/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/toyota...</a><p>The entire basis of the claimed Toyota being so “anti-EV” in the article is a Toyota Australia sales executive saying BEVs aren't currently the optimum choice for the median <i>Australian</i> customer, while there are markets where that is different (Norway given as a specific example), and that hybrid-electric vehicles are a better fit for most Australian customers. Which is a stupidly weak basis for the angle.