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| Toyota seeks slow transition to electric cars |
The United States is making slow progress on its policy to get more electric cars on the road. But it's not slow enough for Toyota.
As the world's largest automaker, the Japanese automaker has lobbied Washington, D.C., to resist the urge to transition to an all-electric future. This is because Toyota is lagging behind other industries in this transformation.
According to the New York Times, a Toyota executive has met with congressional leaders in the past few weeks to oppose the Biden government's multibillion-dollar plan to switch to electric cars.
CEO Chris Reynolds believes that hybrid vehicles such as the Toyota Prius and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles should also be in the pipeline.
In addition, through the industry-leading lobby group, the Automotive Innovation Alliance, the company is resisting the policy of promoting electric vehicles.
The organization, which represents major automakers and their suppliers and is headed by Reynolds, has challenged the Biden administration's plan to adopt the so-called California Compromise as an official stand.
Last year, a group of automakers signed an emissions agreement with California that wants stricter regulations from the United States as a whole.
Under the leadership of President Donald Trump, the Environmental Protection Agency has attempted to deny California the authority to set its own emissions standards.
But under Biden's leadership, that rule has been reversed, allowing California and other states to introduce stricter standards.
Toyota supported the Trump administration in its war against California, but did not participate in the original settlement agreement. The company opposes policies promoting electric cars in India and its home country of Japan.
Toyota beats electric cars
The company's efforts to slow the pace of more electric cars on the streets are puzzling. This is because it was one of the first companies to introduce battery transportation.
With the introduction of the Toyota Prius in 1997, the company proved that reciprocating cars could be popular, paving the way for Tesla and other companies.
The automaker recently announced that it plans to launch 70 new models by 2025, including all-electric models, hydrogen fuel cell models, and fuel-electric hybrid models.
But this does not hide the fact that Toyota is far behind its competitors. Companies like Nissan, General Motors, and Volkswagen have been selling all-electric vehicles for many years. At the same time, he also revealed his plan to phase out fuel-powered vehicles.
As the New York Times has pointed out since 2009, Toyota's failure to embrace electric vehicles is not a new concept.
Toyota management has described the electric car trend as exaggerated at times. This is due to emissions associated with power plants. It is a subject used by the petroleum and fuel industries.