Article by Yamin Vong

How the tables have turned

Toyota is the world’s largest car maker by sales. Starting about 3 years ago, it was criticized for its lack of electric vehicles and slow response to climate change.
It’s then-CEO’s statement that Toyota needed to provide its customers in more than 100 countries with multiple paths towards decarbonisation incited even more attacks including from politicians who knew very little about global supply chain issues.
The popularity of Toyota’s petrol-electric hybrid cars and its record sales and profits last year have validated now- chairman Akio Toyoda’s honest but politically in-correct statements.

The “Beyond Zero” world tour which landed on Malaysia’s shore this week can definitely be seen as a response to the criticism it faced regarding its lack of electric vehicles and environmental concerns.
Beyond Zero intends to show Toyota’s commitment toward achieving carbon neutrality and addressing climate change. It aims to highlight the company’s efforts towards sustainable mobility solutions, including the development of hybrid and hydrogen-powered vehicles, as well as its plans to expand its lineup of fully electric vehicles.

As some of the Malaysia Car of the Year judges who attended the event said, Toyota is positioning itself as a leader in promoting a more sustainable future in the automotive industry. Its hydrogen fuel cell technology will focus on commercial vehicles which spend more time on the road and need to carry heavier payloads than passenger cars.
It should be noted that one way forward for Toyota is to voluntarily declare the carbon emissions of the models it sells in Malaysia. Hopefully, this will make the competitors keep up.

Take note that car makers in Thailand that qualify for incentives to produce fuel efficient and environmentally-friendly cars under the EcoCar programme are required to declare the polluting emissions generated.

www.malaysiamotorexpo.com