Large parts of world not ready for zero-emission vehicles, says Toyota

Toyota said on Thursday that the large parts of the world are not ready for zero-emission vehicles, which is why the automaker has not signed a pledge this week to phase out fossil-fuel cars by 2040.

Six major automakers, including General Motors, Volvo Cars, Ford Motor, and Mercedes-Benz, signed the Glasgow Declaration on Zero Emission Cars and Vans, as did some other countries such as India.

But Toyota and Volkswagen as well as major car markets like the United States, China, and Germany haven’t signed it.

A spokesperson for Toyota informed Reuters that where the energy and charging infrastructure, economics, and customer readiness are present, the automaker is ready to accelerate and help support with appropriate zero-emission automobiles.

“However, in many places of the world such as Asia, Africa, Middle East … an environment suitable for promoting full zero-emission transport has not yet been established,” the spokesperson said.

“We think it will take more time to make progress…; thus, it is hard for us to commit to the joint statement at this stage,” the spokesperson added.