August 25, 2021—A Toyota executive recently responded to criticism that the company has been "dragging its feet" on adopting electric vehicle technology.
In a column written for Medium.com, Toyota Motor Corp. chief scientist Gill Pratt vehemently denied that Toyota has been slow to develop full battery solutions, adding that a significant portion of the $10 billion per year the company spends on R&D goes to scientists working on battery development.
Pratt says the company is "all in" on the Biden administration's goal of having 50 percent of all new vehicles sales being some form of EV by 2030. Toyota is expecting around 70 percent of its U.S. vehicle production to be electrified by that time.
We believe the best approach, as the Biden Administration has proposed, is for policymakers around the world to insist on results, and allow innovators like Toyota and our competitors to create diverse solutions to achieve those results," Pratt says. "We believe this proven approach of driving innovation by focusing on outcomes — rather than prescribing particular technology solutions — is the best way to reduce carbon emissions. Carbon is the enemy, not a particular drivetrain."
