Pure electric car technology isn’t ready for mass adoption, it seems. This, after Lexus president Yoshihiro Sawa told Autocar that the company will not leap into the EV market until customer and environmental benefits were clear, while emphasising that the tech’s environmental impact has yet to be fully understood.
Speaking at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, Sawa told the publication that Lexus – in partnership with parent company Toyota – is working on all types of powertrains, including full electric and hydrogen fuel cell technologies. Again, these vehicles will not be introduced on a mass scale unless the above concerns have been addressed.
“Our philosophy is to provide freedom of movement, so we have to develop technology on all fronts. We understand that electric is very necessary – more than some, perhaps, with our early move to hybrid, but we can also see that full EV will not suit everyone. You can’t make an electric Land Cruiser work, for instance – and there are people in remote parts of the world whose lives depend on that car,” said Sawa.
He also said the pure EVs of today require long charging times and the batteries have an environmental impact at the manufacturing stage, yet degrade as they age. “And then, when cells need replacing, we have to consider plans for future use and recycling. It is a complex issue – much more complex than the current rhetoric perhaps suggests. I prefer to approach the future in a more honest way.”
“If we are looking for the best solution it is my opinion that the best solution is not only EVs; we must consider petrol, hybrid, plug-in hybrid and fuel cell. If we focus on EVs only we will not provide the answers people need,” he explained.
On a similar note, Saw also recently revealed that future Lexus F performance models may be electrified, and suggested that a standalone hybrid F GT car could even be created.
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If Lexus president Yoshihiro Sawa wait for everything to be ready for EV market until customer & environmental benefits were clear, it also mean Toyota are not in the forefront of EV.
Take a look at what Elon Must has achieved in his life until now. His goals include reducing global warming through sustainable energy production & consumption hence EV is the way.
With Toyota vast resources & experience in manufacturing cars, Toyota should be in the forefront of innovations not to mention leader in the EV market.
Maybe we need Elon Musk & Tesla to show us EV is the way forward bcoz combustion’s from petrol & diesel are polluting our mother earth already.
Electricity generation and transmission is polluting as well. No free lunch. At the moment nobody can show that EV is better in the long run due to rare earth contamination from batteries and pollution costs of electricity generation. And range/charge time is also an issue for cross country travel. Yes to EV or alternate energy when we can show its cleaner overall
MY consumers all ready for Vios EV yo.
Why Toyota is so slow when Proton already has EV in 2017 selling for under RM100K?
https://paultan.org/2014/10/14/proton-ev-2017-under-rm100k/
Toyota still stuck in Jurassic World
Uncle john, how come there is NO/NONE Proton EV on the road since U claim its already been selling since 2017 ?? Nak Tipu Siapa Ni ? Even the salesman at Proton don’t have any unit to sell.