Government’s policies should focus on overall carbon reduction, rather than selling zero emissions vehicles.

Speaking to a room full of auto industry executives, analysts and media, Larry Hutchinson, President and CEO of Toyota Canada explained his company’s view of legislation that promotes the sale of zero emission vehicles, without taking a closer look at all the other options.

“Canadian governments are on a mission to reduce carbon emissions, and Toyota shares the same mission,” he said. “In fact, it’s one of our company’s most important goals. But there is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to meeting Canadian drivers’ needs, so public policy focusing solely on the sale of zero emission vehicles may miss the real target of overall greenhouse gas reduction.”

While Toyota is well known for their hybrid vehicles, the company believes that hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles have the potential to solve many of the world’s transportation needs, while simultaneously cutting emissions to zero.

Even though hydrogen fuel cell technology has great potential, Toyota isn’t betting on hydrogen technology alone. In fact, Hutchinson added, there’s a need and a place for multiple powertrain technologies. Each technology has a unique role to play in meeting consumer needs and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and the focus can’t be on one at the expense of others.

“It’s clear that we can’t focus on one particular technology if that focus will result in an overall increase in carbon emissions, so we have concerns about any public policy that attempts to pick technology winners instead of focusing on the overall goal of reduced emissions,” Hutchinson added. “If public policy attempts to pick winners and losers in this technology battle, we’ll all be losers in the war on greenhouse gas emissions.”