While other manufacturers have opted for total electrification, Toyota has been more cautious and pragmatic. In addition to not abandoning combustion engines and betting on the cars that consumers demand the most, with hybrids at the forefrontthe Japanese brand is committed to a mix of technologies to power its vehicles.
In an interview Automotive News Europethe brand’s chief scientist, Gill Pratt, says that the ultimate goal of manufacturers must be to “fight the real common enemy: carbon emissions.” To achieve this, its vision of the future is that electric vehicles “can coexist with cars that run on e-fuels and hydrogen”.
“Combustion engines are not the enemy, carbon emissions are”
So far this year, global demand for electric cars has been cooling, as shown by sales figures in markets as relevant as that of USAEurope or China. In addition, changes in plans giants like Ford or Tesla are good thermometers of the situation.
On the other hand, there is Toyota, with a differentiated strategy, which has remained firm over time.
The brand has always been clear that 100% electric cars are not the only solution to decarbonize transportation and, although Toyota will not completely abandon the development of electric cars, this year the brand has prioritized the cars that consumers most demand. At the moment they prefer hybrids like the new Prius (which will not arrive in Spain), the Corolla Cross Hybrid, or the new Toyota C-HR.
For Toyota, “combustion engines are not the enemy, coal is the enemy.” Along these lines, the brand’s chief scientist, Gill Pratt, has spoken about important aspects of the electric transition, its challenges and opportunities and how he sees the future of the industry.
Regarding the current concern about the forecasts for lithium, its price and the demand for this material towards the end of the decade, since the experts at Benchmark Mineral Intelligence warn that a “critical imbalance between supply and demand is expected of lithium by 2026-2027” Gill Pratt believes that “not much can be done” to avoid it, even if more automakers opt for batteries with other chemistries.
Gill Pratt, CEO of the Toyota Research Institute
If that crisis arrives, Pratt advocates the 1:6:90 rule as a possible solution: This states that one battery electric vehicle uses approximately the same amount of battery materials as six plug-in hybrid electric vehicles or 90 non-plug-in hybrid vehicles.
“Although individually those six PHEVs do not reduce CO₂ emissions as much as a BEV, they can reduce CO₂ five times more,” he explained. In this way, he proposed that “if battery materials are the bottleneck, manufacturers should carefully consider which technology to use to maximize emissions reduction.”
Regarding the useful life of the batteries, Pratt stressed that it largely depends on use and charging: “The vast majority of recharges are done at home and at a fairly slow pace.which is better for the battery and results in a longer first life,” he said. In contrast, frequent use of fast charging systems could shorten the life of the batteries.
In relation to internal combustion engines that run on hydrogen, Pratt believes “it is still early to decide on their viability in Europe” after the implementation of the regulations for 2035. He mentioned that “in the United States, the current idea is to classify them as vehicles “zero emissions” and that the European Commission is considering this option.
In addition, he highlighted that the CO₂ emissions generated by these engines (also in large vehicles) “are minimal, which could make them competitive against fully electric vehicles.”
Source: www.motorpasion.com
