*This content was translated by AI.
Toyoda Akio, chairman of Toyota Motor Corp., called for clear leadership and consistent rulemaking in the political community in response to the recent rapid changes in the global automobile market and a series of revisions to the battery electric vehicle (BEV) strategy. During a two-day visit to the region to participate in the "TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Rally Challenge" held in Okinawa from the 14th, Toyoda expressed his views on the difficulties facing the current automobile industry and future directions as the chairman of the Japanese Automobile Chamber.
The remarks come at a time when major automakers (OEMs), which made large-scale investments, such as Honda Giheung Industrial's announcement the previous day that it would suspend the development of three battery-electric vehicles that were being developed targeting the North American market, are experiencing management difficulties. Toyoda pointed out the structural limitations of listening to the voices of rule makers and investors that private companies are the state, reminding them that the market and politics have created an atmosphere of "BEV unilateral." Referring to the reality that companies that faithfully followed the rules are currently suffering and suffering from deficits, he paradoxically pointed out that Toyota, which prioritized customer demand, was once the subject of criticism.
"The automobile industry is a comprehensive and huge industry that takes a vast amount of process and long time from planning to development, production and sales. "It has a complex supply chain connected not only to automakers but also to numerous parts suppliers and dealer networks at sales sites, making it very difficult to respond if the rules that are the premise of the market change rapidly in the short term," Toyoda explained. He stressed, "Sustainable business operations are impossible in situations where rules change frequently," and repeatedly asked the political community to show unshakable leadership with a long-term perspective. In addition, he added to investors, "Rather than being buried in short-term performance, please make investments from a long-term perspective so that private businesses can continue to grow and members can smile."
There is no disagreement that battery electric vehicles are one of the important solutions under the ultimate goal of realizing carbon neutrality, but it has also been reaffirmed that certain technologies cannot be the answer given the global market as a whole. Recent policy changes in each country and corporate earnings announcements prove that 100% electric vehicles or 100% hybrids are not the immediate answer. For Japan, which has a large number of world-class automakers, it has emerged as an urgent priority to create an environment where sustainable production is possible while reflecting the actual demand of consumers around the world. In the end, Toyoda's remarks suggest that political decisions and market understanding must be harmonized for the hundred-year period of the automobile industry, and are interpreted as voices calling for a cautious approach and policy stability across the industry.
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*This content was translated by AI.
