Connect with us
toyota-evs-tesla-byd toyota-evs-tesla-byd

News

Toyota releases new defense of lagging EV strategy

(Credit: Toyota)

Published

2 years ago

on

Toyota has released a new defense of its EV strategy, which some have criticized for being too slow or conservative.

Despite Toyota’s leadership in hybrid vehicle technology in the early 2000s, the company has not followed through with focusing on pure EVs, like many of its competitors have begun to. This strategy has attracted mixed responses, with some believing the EV strategy to be too slow and lagging behind the industry. Now, according to a new report from Jalopnik, Toyota has released a memo to its dealers defending its decision, arguing that a continuing focus on hybrid vehicles is better for the company and the environment.

The memo released by Toyota and subsequently published by Jalopnik focuses first on the hurdles of EV adoption, both for the manufacturer and its consumers. Then it proceeds to defend Toyota’s strategy of concentrating on mild-hybrid systems instead. The full memo is available below.

Toyota first lists three main hurdles to EV adoption for itself and its consumers. Most predominantly, Toyota argues that a lack of “critical minerals,” including lithium and nickel, as well as processed goods such as cathode and anode materials, will severely limit EV production in the coming years. Moreover, the Japanese automaker argues that lead times in its supply chain will mean these issues persist well into the future.

The second hurdle Toyota points to is a lack of public charging infrastructure, most notably, DC fast charging. Third and finally, Toyota argues that EVs remain prohibitively expensive for the majority of consumers.

Advertisement

After pointing out these potential roadblocks, Toyota argues that a production focus on mild-hybrid vehicles can better serve its customers and the environment, which it believes, in turn, will result in higher sales for itself. This, according to Toyota, stems from the “critical mineral” supply limitations. By prioritizing hybrid vehicles, Toyota believes it can produce far more cars using the same amount of scarce resources. Specifically, the automaker estimates for every EV it could produce, it could manufacture 90 hybrid vehicles, resulting in a more significant reduction in emissions in the aggregate.

With the continued prevalence of many Tesla and EV skeptics, notably on Wall Street, it is fair to say that Toyota isn’t without support in its belief in hybrid technology. However, with governments worldwide beginning to tighten regulations on gas-powered vehicles, it remains unclear if Toyota can continue its hybrid focus for long.

Credit: Jalopnik

What do you think of the article? Do you have any comments, questions, or concerns? Shoot me an email at william@teslarati.com. You can also reach me on Twitter @WilliamWritin. If you have news tips, email us at tips@teslarati.com!

Related Topics:

Will is an auto enthusiast, a gear head, and an EV enthusiast above all. From racing, to industry data, to the most advanced EV tech on earth, he now covers it at Teslarati.

Advertisement
Comments

Cybertruck

Tesla clears the air on Cybertruck ‘deactivation’ video that is obviously fake

Tesla has cleared the air on the viral video, stating it is fake.

Published

4 hours ago

on

August 11, 2025

By

Credit: Cybertruck | X

Tesla has cleared the air regarding a video that has been circulating, where the owner claims his Cybertruck was “deactivated” by the company while he was driving.

The video was shared on X and showed a driver pulled over on the side of the road, claiming his Cybertruck had been deactivated by Tesla in the middle of traffic. It is very obviously fake to those who know the company, but these kinds of things have a tendency to pick up steam.

Advertisement

The video shows a screen that says:

“Tesla Cybertruck De-Activated. Critical Issue Detected | Contact Customer Service, Comply with Cease & Desist to Re-Activate. Update Failed, Return to Dealer.”

The same person who posted the video also shared an image of what appears to be a Cease and Desist letter from Tesla, but it is also likely fake:

The company finally responded to the video on Monday afternoon, stating that the video is, in fact, fake, reiterating that it will not disable vehicles remotely for any reason.

Advertisement

It is a shame that these types of things happen, especially as people are prone to believe anything they see on the internet. As there is so much misinformation circulating surrounding Tesla and its CEO Elon Musk, it is no surprise that someone would leverage the situation for their own benefit.

If that Cease and Desist letter is not real, perhaps the next one might be. These types of things can truly cause damage to a company’s reputation, and someone getting an idea that Tesla would remotely deactivate a car could prevent them from buying one.

Continue Reading

Elon Musk

Elon Musk is stepping up for Tesla Service in a big way

Elon Musk has stepped up to resolve a handful of customer issues regarding vehicle service.

Published

5 hours ago

on

August 11, 2025

By

tesla service
Credit: Tesla

Elon Musk is stepping up to help customers in a big way, especially when they are having issues with Tesla’s Service.

Perhaps one of the biggest advantages Tesla owners have is access to Musk through X, his social media platform. Over the years, we’ve seen Tesla add features, refine its cars’ performance, and more, all through asking Musk directly through a post.

Now, Musk is stepping up in another way by resolving a few Service complaints that customers had.

The first occurred last week when a recall on a Tesla battery was not honored by Service. The company sought $30,000 for a replacement and labor, which was not right. Musk responded that he would personally investigate the matter. The vehicle was fixed at no cost as it was a recall, and was ready for pickup the next day.

It also revealed a new strategy Tesla is using to combat service communication issues:

Tesla creates clever solution to simplify and improve its Service

The next occurred with a Cybertruck owner who was in Japan. Their car was parked at an airport in the U.S. and had lost a vast majority of its state of charge, leaving them just fifty miles of range at the time.

Advertisement

Musk reached out to the owner and said Service will take care of the car and will investigate the cause of the battery drain:

There are not too many companies out there where the CEO will get involved with individual issues like these. It’s pretty exclusive to Tesla, as Musk has commonly stepped up to resolve complaints with vehicles or to confront features that some owners might find useful.

Service has been a weak point of the company for some time, but it has worked to refine and resolve customer complaints by building more Service Centers across the world that can handle these issues.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Elon Musk

Tesla CEO Elon Musk confirms Robotaxi is opening to the public: here’s when

Anyone will be able to request a Tesla Robotaxi in September, Elon Musk said this morning.

Published

7 hours ago

on

August 11, 2025

By

Credit: Joe Tegtmeyer | X

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has confirmed that the company’s Robotaxi platform is opening to the public, and he even gave a timeline for when anyone will be able to access one for a ride.

Tesla’s Robotaxi platform launched to a small group on June 22 in Austin, Texas. The company has continued to expand the number of riders and its geofence over the past month and a half.

Tesla officially launches Robotaxi service with no driver

Additionally, it launched rides in the Bay Area of California, but it differs slightly, as the Texas Robotaxi platform does not utilize a Safety Monitor in the driver’s seat. In California, the monitor sits in the driver’s seat.

As the geofence, service areas, and testing populations expand, Tesla fans are awaiting their elusive emails that enable their ability to use the Robotaxi platform. It now seems that the email will come soon, as Musk said Tesla will open up public access to Robotaxi next month:

Advertisement

Tesla has been prioritizing safety over anything else with the launch of the Robotaxi platform, which is why it has been slow to push invitations to new riders. It is confident in the abilities of the platform and its Full Self-Driving suite, which has been proven with data.

However, even a single accident could set Tesla back years in terms of its development of self-driving cars. It is not a risk it is willing to take.

Musk said during the recent Q2 Earnings Call:

Advertisement

“We need to make sure it works when the vehicles are fully under our control. It’s kind of one step at a time here. We don’t want to jump the gun. As I said, we’re being paranoid about safety. But I guess next year is I’d say confidently next year. I’m not sure when next year, but confidently next year, people would be able to add or subtract their car to the Tesla, Inc. fleet.”

As the platform will expand in Austin and the Bay Area for anyone, Tesla still continues to reiterate that Robotaxi will be available for everyone sometime next year, as Musk said in the quote above.

Things will continue to improve over time, and Tesla will likely expand its geofence in both regions in the coming weeks. It has already done that in Austin twice, with about a doubling in size occurring both times.

Continue Reading

Trending