Toyota Australia boss says electric vehicles impractical for most Aussies- and reveals why they are not as eco-friendly as they seem
Australia's most popular car brand has launched a stinging attack on electric vehicles.
Toyota previewed new vehicles at the Japan Mobility Show and continues to back hybrid technology.
The company used the event to show off future products.
Mr Hanley told journalists hybrid vehicles were 'a better fit' for Australian motorists.
'What battery electric vehicle do we have right now on sale in Australia that can tow 2.5 tonnes for 600km? We don’t. It doesn’t exist.
'If we just move to only zero-emission vehicles, what are you going to tell the hundreds of thousands, if not millions of Australians who tow caravans, who use their cars for work, who need their cars on the land, who need their cars in the mine, who need more than a 200 or 300km range?'
He said hybrid vehicles were a practical technology for now.
He argued Toyota could make more hybrid vehicles with the same materials used to create one electric car, that EVs were 'powered, in many cases, by electricity generated from coal' and that they remained 'impractical' for drivers.
Figures from the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries show Toyota remains the top-selling brand in Australia.
Toyota and Hyundai have partnered to expand the number of hydrogen refuelling stations in Australia and boost popularity of renewable energy.
Four companies, including the automakers, Ampol and Pacific Energy, announced the deal on Tuesday, revealing plans to share expertise and build hydrogen infrastructure in Canberra.
Toyota and Hyundai are the only companies to have released hydrogen fuel-cell cars in Australia - the Mirai sedan and NEXO SUV.
The announcement also came as the Australian Renewable Energy Agency revealed it had approved record funding during the last financial year for projects including hydrogen infrastructure.
Ampol chief executive Matt Halliday said the four companies had signed a memorandum of understanding to jointly develop hydrogen projects to support vehicles in the nation's capital.
Toyota shows off the hydrogen fuel cell vehicle Mirai
"The (deal) establishes a collaborative working relationship between the parties who are all required to develop the necessary hydrogen ecosystem to make hydrogen use as a transport feasible."
Hyundai deployed 23 hydrogen-fuelled vehicles in Canberra as part of a deal with the ACT government in 2021, making it the first hydrogen car fleet in Australia.
Toyota has been trialling its Mirai line of hydrogen fuel-cell cars in Australia since 2018 and offers the vehicles on extended lease in Victoria, where the company operates its own refuelling station.
Toyota Australia president Matthew Callachor said the automaker was committed to developing hydrogen as an alternative energy source.
"This month we announced plans to locally assemble and distribute the EODev GEH2 fuel-cell generator in Australia and this joint collaboration announced today provides further opportunities to explore and grow this vital technology," he said.
The latest partnership follows several recent announcements for hydrogen technology, including BP's launch of the first hydrogen facility at a service station in August and Ampol's deal with US firm OneH2 to develop more refuelling stations.
It also comes after record funding from ARENA, which on Tuesday revealed it had approved $544.1 million to 60 projects during the last financial year.
Hydrogen projects to receive funding included a $50 million investment in the HyGATE Initiative to develop pilots in hydrogen supply, and $50 million in research and development projects.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12700533/Toyota-Australia-boss-says-electric-vehicles-impractical-Aussies-reveals-not-eco-friendly-seem.html
Toyota announced a new investment of nearly $8 billion that will add approximately 3,000 jobs at hybrid and ev Toyota Battery Manufacturing North Carolina (pictured)
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