Toyota Execs Say Gasoline Will Still Power Most of Its Vehicles Through 2030
The automaker bases this assessment on a belief that electric vehicles will not catch up to gasoline-powered vehicles in terms of cost and convenience by 2030.

The automaker bases this assessment on a belief that electric vehicles will not catch up to gasoline-powered vehicles in terms of cost and convenience by 2030.
Toyota predicts gasoline will power most of its U.S. vehicles well through 2030, despite the automaker’s commitments to develop hybrid and electric vehicles.
If you take a snapshot of 2030, the price of battery EVs and the provision of infrastructure around the globe probably won’t have advanced all that much.
Company execs base the assessment on the belief that electric vehicles will not catch up to gasoline-powered vehicles in terms of cost and convenience by 2030, the Wall Street Journal reports. This reflects a different stance than the company’s primary competitors. Honda, Volvo, and General Motors recently set goals for all-electric fleets within the next decade.
“If you take a snapshot of 2030, the price of battery EVs and the provision of infrastructure around the globe probably won’t have advanced all that much,” said Toyota Exec Jun Nagata in a news conference. “Hybrids and plug-in hybrids will be easier for customers to buy.”
Toyota leaders assert customers do not want pure electric vehicles and that EVs are not necessarily better for the environment. They cite concerns that carbon emissions associated with generating electricity and producing battery materials, such as cobalt and lithium, are higher.
“The goal is not electric vehicles, the goal is carbon neutrality,” said James Kuffler, Toyota’s chief digital officer, in a news conference. “Even if we have the best technology, if it’s not chosen by customers, it will not have the impact of reducing emissions.”
Kuffler added that Toyota is “strongly positioned to lead the world in the best reliable low-cost battery-powered electric vehicles.”
Toyota must rapidly ramp up battery production to meet even a hybrid-focused plan. In fact, executives report Toyota will need to multiply current battery capacity by 30 times to meet its 2030 targets.
The company announced plans to start selling the bZ4X, a fully electric SUV, in mid-2020. But even with this announcement, Toyota lags behind other companies in introducing EVs that compete with Tesla.
The automaker also reported a net profit of $20.6 billion for the fiscal year ended March 31, a slight increase over the previous fiscal year. Toyota also forecast higher profits for the next fiscal year, driven by U.S. economic recovery and rising demand for gasoline-powered trucks and SUVs.
Originally posted on Auto Dealer Today
More Industry

Pennsylvania Dealership Under New Retailers
The sale of the Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram store puts a family auto group on a leaner path as first-time dealers take the helm.
Read More →
Battery Storage Takes Priority Over EVs
U.S. automakers are prioritizing battery energy stationary storage over electric-vehicle production as the consumer demand for EVs lags the rest of the world.
Read More →
Auto Dealers Feel Better But Not Great
A second-quarter Cox Automotive poll of franchised retailers and independents found better views of the current market after a good spring but anticipation of third-quarter storminess.
Read More →
New-Vehicle Sales Picture Relative
A May forecast is complicated by last spring’s trade tariff effects on auto retail. Despite continued hard realities, many consumers took advantage of ways to bite the bullet.
Read More →
Auto Group Acquires Third Nissan Rooftop
Iowa-based Coleman Automotive Group recently acquired its seventh dealership, McGrath Nissan, which it renamed Nissan of Elgin.
Read More →
April Less Affordable
Based on prices, reduced incentives and slower household income growth, consumers found it more challenging to buy new last month, Cox Automotive reported.
Read More →
Building an Extraordinary F&I Agency
Work to determine your specialized talent, because that fact will determine everything about your agency’s future.
Read More →
Recipe for Compliance
The secret to both amazing barbecue and compliance is the same: understanding the basics and committing to a process.
Read More →
EVs Getting More Attractive
A growing percentage of U.S. consumers are open to switching and fewer are adverse to the idea, according to a recently completed survey. That’s despite the end of a tax break.
Read More →
EV Sales Drop in April Following Surge
North American electric-vehicle sales were down 28% year-over-year, a sharp contrast from global EV sales growth of 6%.
Read More →