Toyota’s attitude to electric cars is very different from that of other major manufacturers. Gil Pratt, CEO of the Toyota Research Institute, to which the quote in the title belongs, believes that too many have been seduced by the electric motor fad.

Even if a large company already has its own all-electric model, the electrification of the entire product line is progressing slowly. In fact, company CEO Akio Toyoda said last year that a sudden shift to electric vehicles (EVs) from internal combustion engines would hurt Japan’s economy. He recently added that it is important that people in different regions have a choice between an electric car and a conventional one.

Gil Pratt looks at things even more globally. A former head of robotics and computing at the US Defense Research Projects Agency and a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, he understands that climate change is a serious problem, but the sudden shift to electric car exclusivity isn’t the best for the planet either.

“Lithium-ion batteries are not without consequences,” says Pratt. “They’re made of rare minerals and mined — whereas a normal engine is made of much more common materials — and they weigh a lot. The supply of the energy system in different countries of the world is very different.”

Pratt believes that in the long term, plug-in hybrids and 100% electric are very close, and he takes the Tesla car as an example from his own experience: “I bought a Tesla Model X because I am a good friend of the chief engineer there. An incredible car. But my wife covers 50 kilometers with it every day. Therefore, most of the time only 10% of the battery is used. But the car carries with it all the weight, all these materials.”

“We all know that we live in a period of limited supply of batteries. Wouldn’t it be better to use these battery cells in eight plug-in hybrids like the Toyota RAV4 Prime, where they would contribute significantly more to reducing emissions every day?”

Ford CEO Jim Farley also recently said that the fuel infrastructure is inadequate and has its own problems, and this at a time when the percentage of EVs on the road is still abysmal compared to internal combustion EVs.

“We have our scars, too,” he said, referring to Ford’s claim that it has the largest network of charging stations. “It doesn’t help that it’s the biggest if half of it doesn’t work, or if you’re looking for a fast charger, you can’t find it.”

And Pratt adds that while Norway and other European countries have enough green energy and grids for electric cars, that’s not the case everywhere. In short, he believes that the variety of options is an advantage, not a weakness: “Carbon dioxide is the enemy, not a particular type of fuel.” The variety reflects the fact that Toyota continues to develop hydrogen-powered cars such as the Toyota Mirai.

A gradual approach to reducing emissions could mean Toyota sells fewer electric cars than rival brands such as Volkswagen over the next decade, but it’s also possible that the Japanese giant will produce vehicles that people around the world really need.

Sources: CarBuzz, AutoCar.