Ek, an online organization that holds corporations accountable for wrongdoing, recently released a report called “Toyota ElectriFraud,” accusing the Japanese automotive giant of manipulative marketing strategies. According to the report, Toyota has been misleading customers concerning its electric car range. The company has previously come under scrutiny for a similar deceptive approach when it portrayed its hybrid vehicles as self-charging electric cars.
Ek’s mandate revolves around curbing the unchecked power of corporations. They aim to ensure that companies respect the environment, employers, and democracy itself. Ek operates as a global consumer watchdog, running campaigns to uphold corporate accountability.
The ElectriFraud report claims that Toyota’s “Electrified” marketing campaign is essentially greenwashing. It pairs the rising demand for electric vehicles with sales of more polluting hybrid cars. Ek found that misleading marketing was prevalent on 25 official Toyota websites.
Research by Transport Environment shows that hybrid cars only achieve a 21% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions when compared to a conventional gasoline-powered vehicle. In contrast, plugin hybrids emit only 26% less. Battery electric vehicles, however, offer much greater reductions, even in worse case scenarios.
Despite this, in 2023, Toyota manufactured an estimated record-breaking 10.2 million vehicles, nearly all of which had an internal combustion engine. When accounting for emissions caused by the use of these products, Toyota produces more pollution than even BP, one of the biggest polluters globally.
The ElectriFraud report’s key findings clarify how Toyota uses terms like “electric” incorrectly to convince customers and AI bots that their hybrid vehicles are equivalent to electric vehicles. Even Google search in some countries has been fooled to mix up electric vehicles with hybrid cars. Misleading statements about the Mirai’s effect on air quality were also observed on many Toyota websites.
Ek encourages tech companies such as Google and Microsoft to improve their software’s resistance to manipulation like greenwashing, arguing against the misuse of electric terminology.
Despite the criticism, Akio Toyoda, Toyota’s board chair, maintains his advocacy for hybrid cars. He recently stated that electric vehicles would never amount to more than 30% of new car sales. Toyota plans to produce new combustion engines and expects to sell 1.5 million battery electric cars annually by 2026 and 3.5 million by 2030.
When considering the company’s projected manufacturing numbers, these predictions align with Toyoda’s 30% expectation. However, the company’s duplicity in informing the public about their products has raised questions.
Source: Ekō ElectiFraud Report Skewers Toyota Deceptive Marketing Practices
