BURIRAM, Thaïlande — Toyota Motor Corp. 7203,
TM,
Chairman Akio Toyoda said he was among the auto industry’s silent majority in questioning whether electric vehicles should be pursued exclusively, comments that reflect growing unease regarding how quickly automakers can perform the transition.
Automakers are making big bets on all-electric vehicles, investments that have been buoyed by strong demand for the limited number of models now available.
Yet the challenges are mounting – particularly in securing battery parts and raw materials – and concerns have emerged in some pockets of the auto industry regarding how quickly buyers will make the switch, especially as Electric vehicle prices have skyrocketed this year.
“People involved in the auto industry are largely a silent majority,” Toyoda told reporters during a visit to Thailand. “This silent majority wonders if it’s really acceptable to have electric vehicles as the only option. But they think it’s the trend, so they can’t speak loudly.
While major rivals, including General Motors Co. GM,
and Honda Motor Co. 7267,
HCM,
have set dates for when their lineups will be fully EV, Toyota is sticking to a strategy of investing in a diverse lineup of vehicles that includes hydrogen cars and hybrids, which combine batteries with gasoline engines.
An expanded version of this report appears on WSJ.com.
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