She was backed by Toyota UK boss Augustin Martin, who claimed that “If carbon is the enemy, it cannot be solved by one technology alone. Choice can never be bad.” This was a sentiment shared by Akio Toyoda, who famously proclaimed that “the enemy is carbon dioxide, not internal combustion.”
Augustin also looked at the fact that some global markets are well behind Europe and the US in their EV adoption curves, and some countries simply don’t have the infrastructure to go full EV. “Not every region [in the world] is at the same place,” he said.
Legislators seem to be looking for a one-size-fits-all solution, but it simply doesn’t exist. In some markets, hydrogen fuel cells and hydrogen combustion may be the answer, while in others, electric works fine. For certain market segments, synthetic fuel is perfectly viable.
“Every effort to reduce carbon should be applauded. Every reduction is great. That is how we build the path,” Augustin concluded.
