The debate over electric vehicles (EVs) has been raging for years. Now, Swedish automaker Polestar is ramping up its criticism of the auto industry’s reluctance to embrace electric cars. In a recent statement, CEO Thomas Ingenlath slammed Toyota’s EV strategy, saying “we cannot continue using fossil fuels and burning them in internal combustion engines forever.” This article delves into Polestar’s bold stance against Toyota, as well as the overall push in the auto industry toward EVs. We explore what Polestar hopes to achieve with its criticism and where the EV market is heading in the future.
What is Polestar?
Polestar is a Swedish automotive company that specializes in electric vehicles. It is a subsidiary of Volvo Cars and was founded in 2019. The company’s first vehicle was the Polestar 1, a plug-in hybrid sports car.
The company’s mission is to ” accelerate the shift to sustainable mobility ” and its goal is to produce only electric vehicles by 2030. Polestar believes that the internal combustion engine is “a 19th-century technology” and that the world needs to move away from fossil fuels if we are to combat climate change.
Toyota, on the other hand, has been slow to embrace electrification. The Japanese automaker offers just two battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) globally: the Toyota Mirai fuel-cell car and the recently launched Lexus UX 300e SUV . While Toyota has plans to sell more BEVs in the future, it still relies heavily on gasoline and diesel cars.
In a recent interview with Automotive News, Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath criticized Toyota’s EV strategy, saying that “we cannot continue using fossil fuels.” He went on to say that electrification is the only way forward if we want to reduce emissions and fight climate change.
It’s clear that Polestar and Toyota have very different views on electrification. While Polestar is focused on making the switch to EVs as soon as possible, Toyota seems content to stick with gasoline and diesel for the foreseeable future.
Polestar’s criticism of Toyota
Polestar, the electric vehicle subsidiary of Volvo, has criticized Toyota’s EV strategy, saying that “we cannot continue using fossil fuels.” Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath said that while Toyota is a “great company,” its approach to EVs is “not good enough.”
Ingenlath said that Toyota’s focus on hybrid vehicles is “a way of continuing to use fossil fuels” and that Polestar’s goal is to “end their use.” He also said that Toyota’s investment in hydrogen fuel cells is “a dead end,” calling it an “unproven technology.”
These comments come as Polestar prepares to launch its first EV, the Polestar 2. The car will be available with a range of battery sizes, with the largest offering up to 500 kilometers (310 miles) of range.
Toyota’s response to Polestar
Toyota has responded to Polestar’s criticisms of its EV strategy, saying that it is committed to a “multi-solution approach” to the problem of climate change.
The Japanese automaker said that it was working on a number of fronts to reduce emissions, including developing battery electric vehicles (BEVs), investing in hydrogen fuel cell technology, and improving the efficiency of its gasoline and diesel engines.
Toyota also pointed out that it was already selling a BEV in the form of the Prius Prime plug-in hybrid, and that it would launch an all-new BEV in 2020.
“We believe that a multi-solution approach is required to address the challenge of climate change,” said Toyota in a statement. “This is why we are working on a range of technologies, including battery electric vehicles, fuel cell electric vehicles, and ever-more efficient gasoline and diesel engines.”
The future of electric vehicles
Electric vehicles are the future of transportation. With the world moving away from fossil fuels, electric vehicles are becoming more and more popular. Many car companies are investing in electric vehicle technology, and Polestar is one of them.
Polestar is a subsidiary of Volvo Cars and specializes in electric vehicles. Recently, Polestar’s CEO, Thomas Ingenlath, spoke out against Toyota’s EV strategy. Ingenlath said that Toyota is “stuck in the past” and that its EV strategy is “not ambitious enough.”
Toyota has been criticized for its lack of investment in electric vehicles. The company has been slow to embrace electrification, and it seems like they’re content to stay that way. However, with more and more pressure from consumers and other car companies, it’s possible that Toyota will change its tune in the future.
What do you think about the future of electric vehicles? Are you excited for the switch to electrification? Let us know in the comments!