Toyota chairman has a warning for EV owners

10/11/24

In remarks during the unveiling of a bust of the late Toyota chairman, Shoichiro Toyoda at Nagoya University in Japan, current Toyota chairman Akio Toyoda, his son, warned that a hard transition to a future where EVs are the sole offering, will cause devastating harm to the automotive workforce.

He finds that much harm will be done to those who work on engine technologies, especially the suppliers that produce such components.

"There are 5.5 million people involved in the automotive industry in Japan. Among them are those who have been doing engine-related (work) for a long time," Toyoda said.

"If electric vehicles simply become the only choice, including for our suppliers, those people's jobs would be lost."

Toyoda has long been a skeptic of electric vehicles and has argued on numerous occasions that there are multiple ways to tackle the threat of carbon emissions without sacrificing people's mobility.

In a statement at a Toyota company event in January, the Chairman argued that EVs and hydrogen power "come as a set with infrastructure," pointing out that many of its customers live in parts of the world with little to access to electricity.

"No matter how much progress BEVs make, I think they will still only have a 30 % market share," said Toyoda. "Then, the remaining 70% will be HEVs [hybrid-electric vehicles], FCEVs [fuel cell electric vehicles], and hydrogen engines. And I think [gas] engine cars will definitely remain."

I that last remark. I am 100% for thoughtful well researched solutions to climate change but all-or-none is never a solution unless it is totally thought out.

 

DC power failed when paired with AC and I sense that DC power from batteries will eventually go the way of dinosaurs and car shows. That is unless the zombie apocalypse does not show up.

 

DC power from batteries is fine. Its failure on the power grid level is due to losses during transmission and the ease of stepping up and down voltages using simple transformers if using AC to combat this. To use DC with that old tech on long transmission lines would have required far higher voltages than does AC and would be less efficient, require larger wires, etc. You can also isolate better with AC which helps with safety, and electromechanical power generation (basically all power generation as we use it at the grid level) produces AC by default to begin with.

But, stored electrical potential is always DC in nature and thus, will always be DC when used in an EV. You can use switching power supplies to step voltages up or down the system (DC --> AC --> DC) but stored potential is always DC.


But I do think that purely battery powered vehicles will never be a full solution for mankind. Far too many limitations at least with all battery tech we have and as it proliferates more we will just have more, but different, environmental issues to deal with. It is kind of kicking the can down the road really from an environmental standpoint.

Hydrogen fuel cells are nice because they are batteries that can be quickly refueled, but then you have to have readily available sources of hydrogen.

Hydrogen powered cars are nice because they are simply ICE engines without the harmful emissions, but also have the same issue as above plus some other risks and issues with having to drive a tank of hydrogen around.

So I still think that there will be multiple solutions, and ICE will always be one of them. And that article is on point.

 

The dictator running my country is forcing us to buy electric in the 2030-2035 year range, they have given billions upon billions to companies to open electric vehicle plants here, so they need to force citizens to buy those vehicles to save face with all that money given away for free. They need us to buy electric now. I think it is easier to get rid of a government than to force millions to buy vehicles they don't want.

The proper recipe for future vehicle production is a mix of ICE, hybrid, electric, and others (hydrogen and other ideas not known yet)

 

It will go for your govt like it will go for California who is trying the same thing. It simply wont happen There will be many things slowing that transition down. they can blow hot air all they want but reality will be painful for them if they try sticking to that approach I think.

People will just buy more used cars and stop buying new as well. EVs simply do not work for a lot of peoples needs. And if they try forcing some stupid thing (which I have heard tossed around) saying you cant sell ANY vehicle that is not an EV, even used, then have fun explaining to the majority that cant afford a new car that they have to not only buy one, but now spend 2x what an ICE car will cost to get one. It is all political nonsense aimed at the specific set of voters they think will keep them in office.

 

You are exactly right. Our electric supply system is near capacity, perfectly fine now but not for full EV use if that ever was to happen, and they have not ability to increase capacity to meet the demand.

You are also right that EV vehicles don't work for everyone, I won a VW EV in 2024 and decided to take the money instead as it did not fit my work life and how I needed to work with my vehicle.

Sudies are showing EV vehicle production is more toxic than ICE - the head of BMW made that announcement. Other studies showing EV's consume more energy to produce compared to ICE.

 

I'm sure that the automotive industry had a devastating effect on the stable and feed industry as well.
The buggy whip makers all but disappeared as a trade.

 

The auto industry is over 100 years old. I'm at best skeptical along those studies.
I'm also skeptical of a guy with a dog in the fight.

 

But they could have gotten good jobs making Model T Fords

 

I will never own an electric vehicle I owned a Lexus hybrid hatchback and that was as far as I will go. I’m a gas man.