Producing millions of hybrid vehicles will have a better impact on CO2 output than creating a smaller number of pure electric vehicles (EVs) from the same quantity of lithium, according to, Toyota.
The claim from the Japanese automotive manufacturer follows a report in which Toyota says it has facts and data to prove that a full transition to EV’s is a mistake and could not only be a “bad” business decision, but also bad for the environment.
Gill Pratt, Toyota’s chief scientist, instead suggests it makes more sense for car brands to explore and offer vehicles with different energy sources like hybrids & hydrogen, rather than concentrating on EVs alone.
The argument revolves around resource limitations, namely lithium, the mineral used in the production of battery packs for both fully electric vehicles and hybrids.
Electric car sales increased by 40% in 2022; however, Pratt predicts that due to their popularity, the industry will soon face a critical shortage of lithium, as well as other minerals used in battery production.
With the limited amount available, he believes it makes more sense to share the mineral between hybrid vehicles instead. Pratt says that producing millions of hybrid vehicles will have a better impact on CO2 output than creating a smaller number of pure EVs from the same quantity of lithium.
The scientist explains this using a hypothetical model outlined to Automotive News that considers a fleet of 100 combustion vehicles emitting a combined total of 250 g/km of CO2. A fixed quantity of lithium, if used entirely to make a 100 kWh battery, will power one long-range EV, but the remaining 99 vehicles in the fleet will still be ICE (internal combustion engine) powered, bringing the total CO2 emissions down to just 248.5 g/km. However, if the same amount of lithium is spread across 90 traditional hybrids, leaving 10 pure ICE-powered cars – the average CO2 emissions drop down to 205 g/km.
Pratt says rival car manufacturers are making a mistake in phasing out petrol entirely. “There is a crunch that’s going to come,” Pratt told Automotive News.
“Time is on our side. These shortages — not only of battery materials, but of charging infrastructure — will make it abundantly clear that one size does not fit all, and that the best answer is actually a mix of different vehicle types.”
Pratt also argued that with the number of EVs skyrocketing in demand, there would also be a lack of charging facilities. According to some estimates, we will need 1.1 chargers for every EV car.
The carmaker has previously come under fire for its slow entry into the full EV market. However, this doesn’t mean Toyota isn’t interested in EVs. Only recently, it announced a Tesla Model 3-sized saloon for China to complement its existing SUV. But the company is adamant that rival firms like Honda, Cadillac, Volvo and others, are making a mistake by throwing all their weight behind pure EVs.
