- Akio Toyoda says an all-BEV industry is his biggest fear.
- Toyota continues developing hybrids, hydrogen vehicles and combustion engines.
- Toyoda says cars should be more than profit-focused products.
Toyota chairman Akio Toyoda has never been shy about defending combustion engines, but his latest comments make clear just how isolated he feels in an industry moving steadily toward battery-electric vehicles.
Speaking with CarWow, Toyoda was asked about his biggest fear for the future of the car. His answer was direct.
“Everybody is shifting to BEVs, this is the biggest fear for me,” he said. “Three or four years ago, I was the only one to say to the media that I love smell, I love sound and I love engines, and I want to keep the jobs for engine suppliers. But it seems to me that I’m the only one. I feel very alone.”
Not ready to give up engines
Toyota has long taken a broader approach to powertrains than many of its rivals. Rather than going all-in on battery-electric vehicles, the company continues to develop hybrids, plug-in hybrids, hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles and even combustion engines that can run on hydrogen.
That position has made Toyota look conservative to some, but Toyoda’s argument is not simply nostalgia. He has often framed the issue around customer choice, infrastructure, jobs and the practical realities of different markets.
Still, his personal affection for combustion is obvious.
“The automobile is my toy,” he added. “I want to make the car which I want to keep in my garage. If I have to make only carbon neutral cars, it’s not exciting.”
GR keeps the flame alive
Toyota is not ignoring electrification, but its performance division is clearly not done with engines. The company recently revealed the GR GT, an AMG-rivalling flagship with a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 and no electrification.
Reports also suggest the next GR Yaris could move to hybrid power, potentially pairing a new 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine with a small battery and electric motor. Claimed output could reach around 294kW, which would be a serious jump for Toyota’s rally-bred pocket rocket.
The enthusiast-in-chief
Toyoda also said that building cars purely for profitability would be uninspiring, arguing that carmaking should be about more than financial performance.
That attitude helps explain why Toyota still appears committed to sports cars such as the GR Yaris, GR Corolla, GR Supra and GR86, while also developing future performance models including a revived Celica and a possible MR2 successor.
The broader industry may be heading toward electric power, but Toyota’s chairman is making one thing clear: as long as he has influence, the engine still has someone fighting in its corner.