Technological openness is important for achieving climate neutrality.
The signs in the automotive industry are pointing towards electromobility, and major manufacturers such as Mercedes-Benz are working on a future without combustion engines – “where market conditions allow,” the German company concedes, however. Akio Toyoda, long-standing CEO and current Chairman of the Board of Directors of the world’s largest car manufacturer, Toyota, has recently put the brakes on the euphoria. He predicted that battery electric cars would never account for more than a third of the market. One reason for this is the high prices and the lack of access to electrical energy in many regions. Mobility must be made possible for everyone, Toyoda continued.
In the past, Toyoda has repeatedly advocated technological openness and the development of electric and hydrogen-powered hybrid vehicles. At the same time, the manager advocates for upgrading old vehicles technically, for example, by converting engines from burning fossil fuels to using hydrogen.
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