October 11, 2024 – According to Reuters, Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda expressed concerns today during the unveiling of a bust of his father, Kiichiro Toyoda, at Nagoya University. He warned that the shift towards a pure electric vehicle future could result in significant job losses for the Japanese population, affecting not only those directly employed in the internal combustion engine industry but also numerous suppliers.
Toyoda stated that approximately 5.5 million people are involved in the automotive sector in Japan, with many of them engaged in long-term work related to traditional fuel engines.
“If electric vehicles become the only option, these people, including many of our suppliers, will lose their jobs,” he said, adding that he personally prefers gasoline-powered cars.
As the world’s largest automaker, Toyota advocates for a “multi-path” strategy that includes electric vehicles, hybrid cars, hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, and other power technologies.
In January of this year, Toyoda suggested that electric vehicles would account for a maximum of 30% of the global automotive market, with the remainder consisting of hybrids, hydrogen fuel cells, and gasoline-powered vehicles (note: he did not specify a time frame).
