World not ready for electric vehicles — Toyota

Toyota did not sign this week’s pledge to phase out petrol and diesel power cars by 2040, as the company believes that large parts of the world are not ready for electric vehicles, Reuters reported.

The world’s largest car manufacturer was not alone in its decision, with Volkswagen and several car markets in the US, China, and Germany also declining to sign the Glasgow Declaration on Zero Emission Cars and Vans.

A Toyota spokesperson told Reuters that the company was “ready to accelerate and help support with appropriate zero-emission vehicles” in regions where factors such as charging infrastructure and customer readiness exist.

“However, in many areas of the world such as Asia, Africa, Middle East … an environment suitable for promoting full zero emission transport has not yet been established,” Reuters quoted the spokesperson as saying.

“We think it will take more time to make progress…; thus, it is difficult for us to commit to the joint statement at this stage.”

There are significant disparities across the world when it comes to electric vehicle ownership.

While sales of electric vehicles are high in the European Union, China, and the United States, other regions are not observing the trend.

These regions include South Africa, where the cumulative total of registered electric vehicles hit 1,509 cars during 2020.

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