Hybrid cars, less polluting than electric cars: Toyota

MEXICO - The use of electric cars at the moment implies a carbon footprint that can often be larger than hybrid cars, said Luis Lozano, president of Toyota Motor de Mexico.

Participating in a panel on the future of mobility during the Forbes Economy and Business Forum, the executive explained that electric cars are not a truly sustainable mobility option at the moment.

He pointed out that the Toyota brand is often criticized for not focusing entirely on the manufacture of zero-emission cars; however, he defended that the Japanese automaker has a strategy within the company that is aware of the reality regarding vehicles and sustainability.

"When you think about electric vehicles you are only thinking about the operation of that vehicle. But to produce an electric vehicle requires a battery, minerals and a mining activity that releases CO2 emissions," Lozano said during his presentation.

Once the battery is in place, he added, it would have to be charged from the national electricity system, which in Mexico depends on fossil fuels for power generation. And that would have to be accounted for in the carbon footprint generated by the vehicle.

Therefore, he argued, for the time being the best strategy is the production and use of hybrid cars.

The executive shared with the forum attendees that Toyota began in 1963 with the development of electric car technology.