While many automobile manufacturers are hedging their bets on all-electric cars, Toyota remains committed to developing both hydrogen, hybrid and electric vehicles.
During discussions with Car Advice in Australia, the Japanese marque’s local product public relations manager Stephen Coughlan said Toyota is prepared for whatever direction the industry may head.
“We’re well placed. From a global perspective, we have within our armoury everything from well-established hybrids to hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles to EVs to smaller personal mobility devices to conventional petrol and diesel engines. So we’re well placed to move whichever direction the market goes in terms of demand and in terms of infrastructure,” he said.
This isn’t the first time Toyota has made such comments. Evidently, its long-standing position as one of the world’s largest automakers allows it to spend its almost infinite R&D money on developing a host of alternatively-fuelled powertrains, not just one.
“Obviously a fuel-cell revolution isn’t going to be something that just happens overnight, but within our global armoury we have every option covered. Other brands are putting all their eggs in one basket – or haven’t showcased yet their full wares – but we’ve got something to offer, whichever way it goes or whichever way we want to take it,” Coughlan said.
Both Volkswagen and Daimler, and many others, are focusing solely on electric vehicles for the future. However, there are a small handful following Toyota’s lead, including Hyundai, Honda, Kia and Audi, that are working on both hydrogen vehicles and EVs.
PHOTO GALLERY
