There is another catch: they heavily invested in hybrid tech.

I was shopping for a new car, and realised Toyota has no PHEVs. Chatted with the salesman and he claims it’s Toyota wanting to keep the prices low by not sinking a 10-15k battery into the car.

In a way it makes sense, the NiMh batteries they utilize hold barely a few kWh, but I am sure they are a lot more replacable and cheaper. But I am sure part of it are the sunken costs.

It does help with emissions too, being able to drive full electric in rush hour. But it won’t be long until that ICE kicks in.

Toyota is an oddity from supply chain and manufacturing perspective, so it is hard to doom them for going against the grain.