Toyota Chairman: 1 Electric Vehicle Produces as Much Pollution as 3 Hybrids During Lifecycle

Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda isn’t buying the green utopia fantasy pushed by climate activists and globalist government bureaucrats.

In a recent interview, Toyoda challenged the notion that electric vehicles (EVs) are the clean-energy solution they’re sold as.

Toyoda is the grandson of Toyota’s founder and a longtime advocate for realistic energy policy.

According to WhichCar, Toyoda pointed out that Toyota’s 27 million hybrid vehicles, which combine gasoline engines with electric motors, have made the same carbon reduction impact as only nine million EVs when accounting for total lifecycle emissions.

The lifecycle includes battery production and power generation.

“From a lifecycle perspective, EVs are still significantly dirtier than gasoline-electric hybrids,” Toyoda explained.

He asserted that one EV generates as much pollution as three hybrids when you include battery mining and electricity grids.

While governments around the world push for EV-only mandates, Toyoda is sounding the alarm on what such policies could do to jobs and economies.

His warnings especially ring true in countries like Japan, where engine manufacturing remains a major employer.

A “sudden shift to EV-only production,” Toyoda warned, could result in massive economic dislocation and lost jobs across the automotive sector.

Toyota has adopted what it calls a “multi-pathway” approach, emphasizing a mix of technologies, such as hybrids, plug-in hybrids, hydrogen fuel cells, and EVs.

He argues that this approach is far safer all around rather than the entire industry putting all its eggs in the battery basket.

That stance has drawn criticism from green ideologues and activist investors who accuse Toyota of falling behind on full electrification.

But the numbers tell a different story. Toyota remains the world’s largest automaker for the fifth straight year.

With its hybrids and efficient gas-powered cars, the automaker is continuing to dominate global markets.

While companies like Ford and GM chase subsidies and struggle to offload unsold EVs, Toyota is quietly expanding its electrification footprint.

However, the company is doing so without sacrificing profitability or practicality.

And for those worried Toyota is giving up on car culture in favor of compliance, CEO Koji Sato has a message: The company still believes cars should be fun.

“A car is not a car if it’s not fun,” Sato said, teasing the return of iconic models like the Supra, Celica, and MR2.

Meanwhile, Lexus is developing a racing-style GT3-inspired performance car, proving that Toyota’s future isn’t just efficient, it’s also exciting.

Toyota’s bet on common sense over climate dogma might just be what keeps the industry grounded.