Akio Toyoda 2025Toyota says it's committed to solving the climate crisis. But the guy whose name is on the building doesn't seem to agree.Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda just said the quiet part out loud. In an interview with Carwow released Monday, he admitted what many EV fans have long suspected: He doesn't want the car industry to go fully electric."Everybody is shifting to BEVs, this is the biggest fear for me," he told Carwow. "Three or four years ago, I was the only one to say to the media that I love smell, I love sound and I love engines, and I want to keep the jobs for engine suppliers."But it seems to me that I'm the only one. I feel very alone." 2026 Toyota C-HROn an executive level, he pretty much is alone. In countless interviews I've had with executives at major American, German, Japanese, and Korean brands, they are all pretty much aligned that the future of the car industry is wholly electric. They differ on how quickly they'll get there, and many still want to keep producing fun gas cars in the meantime, but few have been so clear that they "fear" the shift to EVs. AdvertisementAdvertisementOf course, if I was the grandson of the founder of the world's biggest automaker and utterly failed to prepare it for an electric future, I might feel the same way. Toyota has been extremely slow to introduce compelling electric models, and most of its options so far have had serious limitations compared to competitors. Many of this comes from Toyoda's tenure as CEO, Public Citizen Clean Vehicles Campaigner Adam Zuckerman told me."I thought it was shocking that he's admitting that he may be risking the future of his grandfather's company because he likes the smell of gasoline and engines that go 'vroom, vroom,'" Zuckerman told me. "I think this should either be disqualifying to investors that this is how he makes perhaps the most consequential decision of his tenure as chairman, or it should be an admission that he's failed in that decision." Public Citizen, an advocacy group, has noted in its research that Toyota contributed more to climate-denying members of Congress between 2020 and 2024 than any other automotive brand. Toyoda himself has made his sympathies clear, appearing at a Japanese NASCAR showcase event in November 2025 in full "TRUMP/VANCE 2024" regalia. Public Citizen will be showcasing that image on trucks circling the Toyota Motor North America headquarters in Plano, Texas, today, Zuckerman told me. Which car companies contributed most to climate-denying politicians?A Public Citizen chart showing which automakers contributed the most to climate-denying politicians over the years.Photo by: InsideEVsAdvertisementAdvertisementToyoda's comments also come a couple weeks before Toyota's annual shareholder meeting, during which shareholders will vote on the company's executive positions and its recently appointed CEO, and on re-appointing Toyoda as chair. This is not a rubber-stamp process, either, as Toyoda was pushed out as CEO in 2023 largely because of his approach to EVs, which investors viewed as overly cautious and slow. The company has since been rushing to catch up, pushing out five new EVs this year between its Lexus and Toyota brands. Typically, I'd expect most executives to avoid making inflammatory statements on the eve of such a momentous meeting, but perhaps Toyoda is trying to appeal to Toyota's entrenched supplier base, which is heavily invested in internal-combustion infrastructure. What is clear, however, is that he doesn't want to be on the sidelines, even if he is no longer CEO."As chairman, he's really refused to let go of the reins. And in many ways, he is this shadow CEO, still wielding a lot more power and giving more interviews than their actual CEO," Zuckerman said. Kenta Kon, formerly Toyota's CFO, assumed the top job earlier this year. "I think through these interviews, he's still publicly trying to put his stamp on the company, and it looks like another arm of their private lobbying efforts that are looking in the U.S. and around the world to roll back all of our climate standards," he added.Akio ToyodaIt's not a particularly flattering look for Toyota. Because while the company has been a serious laggard in committing to EVs, its executives and defenders often say that there's no ideological opposition. Rather Toyota touts a more measured approach that focuses on meeting consumers where they are with hybrids, while slowly ramping up EV sales too. Company executives consistently point to a "multi-pathway" approach to electrification.AdvertisementAdvertisementGiven that hybrid and electric models made up 47% of Toyota and Lexus sales last year, and that the company has rapidly expanded its electric offerings this year, it's a believable pitch. But combined with the half-assed nature of the brand's electric models, the misinformation Toyoda himself has spread about EV emissions, the company's lobbying efforts, and now Toyoda himself saying he prefers gas cars because of the "smell," it's hard to tell whether the company is wholly committed to solving this problem. Lexus RZ Manual Shift Top"If I have to make only carbon neutral cars, it's not exciting," Toyoda told Carwow.Perhaps it isn't. But we're not doing this to make Toyoda's life exciting. We're doing this to prevent a global climate catastrophe. Toyota says it cares about that mission. But the guy whose name is on the building clearly couldn't care less. And when you look at Toyota's electric options today, it shows.Contact the author: Mack.Hogan@insideevs.comRelated StoriesThe 2026 Toyota C-HR Feels Like A Misstep In A Pivotal Year For EVs2026 Toyota RAV4 Review: A Hybrid Masterclass That's Better Than EverToyota's Hydrogen Dream Is Far From OverThe Toyota bZ Lagged Behind. Now It's America's Favorite Non-Tesla Electric CarAdvertisementAdvertisement