Toyota weighs-in on vehicle emissions policy, as lobby groups hijack debate

The world’s biggest car maker, Toyota, is again urging Australian policymakers to consider a sensible approach to vehicle emissions reduction targets – rather than forcing motorists to switch to an electric car even if it doesn’t suit their needs.

The debate over electric cars and vehicle emissions reductions in Australia has been taken over by special interest groups with extreme targets – including a ban on the sale of petrol and diesel vehicles by the middle of next decade.

However, Japanese car giant Toyota – which has led the Australian new-car market for two decades – says there is more than one way to reduce emissions in modern motor vehicles. And electric cars are just one option.

Toyota has sold almost a quarter of a million hybrid cars in Australia over the past 20 years – halving the emissions of those petrol vehicles in the process – and last year launched a hydrogen car fleet trial in Melbourne.

Next year, Toyota Australia will introduce its first mass-market electric car for the modern era.

However, Toyota also sells more utes, vans, and four-wheel-drives than any other manufacturer locally – and, as a result, it has been accused by special interest groups of riding the brakes on its electric-car rollout.

“My response to Toyota perceived to be lagging (in the electric-car race) is one of frustration,” said Sean Hanley, the sales and marketing boss of Toyota Australia.

“We’ve sold over 230,000 hybrid vehicles in the Australian market … since October 2001. And I think that we’ve played a significant role in those 22 years to reduce our carbon footprint in the Australian domestic market.

“Maybe the question should be to those people saying that we’re lagging: ‘How much have you reduced (emissions) over the last 22 years in the Australian market?’

“There aren’t too many other car companies with a hydrogen fuel-cell fleet (on Australian roads) right now. We launch our first battery electric vehicle into the market next year, we’ve got a vast range of hybrid vehicles, and we will have plug-in hybrid vehicles. 

“Whilst I understand everyone’s got an opinion on electric cars … carbon (dioxide emissions) is the enemy. 

“There’s not one single car company, including Toyota, that doesn't want to reduce its carbon footprint, as soon as practicable and possible.”

The Toyota executive said a range of emissions reductions technology will make it more affordable for the motoring masses. 

“Toyota’s philosophy is very simple,” said Mr Hanley. “Customers will have a choice. Plug-in, hybrid, fuel-cell electric, and battery electric.

“People who think you can just turn everything to (electric vehicles) by 2035 … I’ve always been taught in my years of business, the customer comes first.

“How are you going to tell all these farmers they’ve got to have battery cars that aren’t practical, don't work for them, or cost a fortune?”

The Toyota executive said the company was ready to embrace new regulations but hopes there will be a sensible approach.

“Regulation (must be) practical for the Australian consumer. And this is where the argument is getting lost,” said Mr Hanley.

“I’m hoping that we can have one voice with government, as an industry, and I’m sure government would be happy to work with our industry. We’re not anti-regulation. No-one is.

“We’re not sitting still doing nothing. We’re planning right now around CO2 regulation and what it means to us, what sorts of technologies we’ve got to bring to market. We’re doing that every day of our life right now.

“There’s not a day I go to work where CO2 regulation and product planning is not discussed around that subject. Not a day.

“We need to get to carbon neutrality – and to get there and survive, you’ve got to have the right mix of technology to sell.”

The Toyota executive said he remained hopeful the newly-elected Federal Government will “deliver on carbon neutrality going forward in a way that works for this country.”

He said the car industry’s role is to “bring technology to market in a practical way that delivers on carbon neutrality and is still fit for purpose.”

Toyota is on track to have a hybrid or electric version of Australia’s top-selling car – the HiLux ute – by the end of this decade.

“We announced our intention to have an electrified version of most of our line-up by 2030,” said Mr Hanley.

“So therefore it’s quite within the realms of possibility that HiLux will come with some form of electrified powertrain in the future.”

In the meantime, Toyota is concerned that extremist special interest groups are derailing sensible debate.

“As an industry – and associations affiliated with our industry, and lobbying groups – we need to come together and agree on a direction, because we all know that carbon neutrality is where we want to go. No-one’s disagreeing on that, (but) we need one voice,” said Mr Hanley.