Toyota, previously considered a laggard in the electrification of its U.S. lineup, is now “fully committed,” according to White House senior adviser John Podesta in an interview with Reuters published on Tuesday.
Podesta mentioned that he met with top officials from the automaker, including Chief Scientist Gill Pratt, who, even during Toyota’s leadership change, continued to advocate for the expanded hybrid deployment as the preferred option.
He further stated that Toyota might “stick with plug-in hybrids for a while, maybe longer than some of the other companies,” before taking the next step toward electric vehicles. This aligns, at least partially, with the strategy previously discussed by Pratt, which involves Toyota cultivating multiple technologies to reduce emissions for the time being.
Toyota has not yet revealed detailed plans for intensified EV goals. The automaker’s latest comprehensive outline of electrification goals for the U.S. anticipates 85% of new vehicles having tailpipes by 2030, with battery electric and fuel cell vehicles combined representing only 15% by then.
