Top Toyota Scientist Says World Lacks the Resources to Go All-EV

Another person from Toyota has come out and said EVs are not the answer, this time, it's their top scientist.

In recent years, Toyota Motor Corporation has flip-flopped with its opinions regarding electric vehicles. Their stance on electric vehicles (EVs) has been somewhat cautious compared to some other automakers. 

While Toyota has been a leader in hybrid vehicle technology with models like the Prius, the company has taken a more conservative approach towards battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) and has prioritized the development of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles (FCVs) as an alternative to traditional internal combustion engines.

A couple of recent comments by Toyota's top scientist has added more fuel to the fire that the EVs are not the answer. He's suggesting that the accelerating transition to electric vehicles could lead drivers to hold on to their old gas guzzlers, which might have detrimental effects on the environment and that the fast-paced adoption of EVs would cause some problems.

Gill Pratt, Toyota Motor Corp.'s chief scientist and chief executive officer of the Toyota Research Institute told reporters at the G7 leaders summit in Japan that "eventually, resource limitations will end, but for many years we will not have enough battery material and renewable recharging resources for a BEV-only solution," Pratt said.

"It will take decades for battery material mines, renewable-power generation facilities, transmission lines and seasonal energy-storage facilities to scale up." he said.

As the demand for EVs has increased globally, many automakers, including Toyota, have been adjusting their plans and increasing their investments in electric vehicle development, but every now and then, someone from Toyota will go against the grain and say otherwise, showing that as a company, they're a bit unsure on how to tackle the electric vehicle conundrum.