Chairman Akio Toyoda recently claimed that Toyota’s 27 million hybrids produce the same total carbon emissions as just 9 million EVs. That’s a 3-to-1 ratio that flips the full-battery narrative on its head. According to Toyoda, totally battery-electric cars aren’t the climate solution everyone thinks they are, at least not in places like Japan.

The argument starts with Japan’s electricity grid

It still leans heavily on coal and natural gas, automotive engineer Gyanvi Bhardwaj explained in a LinkedIn article. So when you plug in an EV there, you’re not running on sunshine and good vibes. You’re charging with fossil power.

That undermines the emissions advantage EVs have in cleaner-grid countries like Norway or even parts of the U.S. Toyoda says building 9 million battery-electric vehicles under Japan’s current grid would actually increase emissions compared to Toyota’s hybrid approach.

Then there’s the battery math. 

Toyota uses what it calls the “1:6:90 Rule.”

With the lithium and raw materials needed to build one EV battery, the company says it could instead produce six plug-in hybrids or 90 standard hybrids. Toyota claims those 90 hybrids would cut 37 times more carbon over their combined lifetimes than one battery electric vehicle. 

That figure assumes hybrids are used efficiently and EVs are mostly charged with “dirty” electricity. But even under more typical conditions, the resource efficiency argument still holds weight.

The automaker has introduced several new hybrids and PHEVs while steadily expanding its EV lineup

In the U.S., Toyota and Lexus now offer around 32 “electrified” models, including fresh plug‑in hybrids and battery EVs. One highlight is the fully electric bZ4X (rebranded as the updated bZ SUV), with a U.S. debut later this year, followed by C‑HR+ and bZ Woodland in 2026.

The 2025 RAV4, too, is going fully PHEV in the U.S. It offers about 50 miles of electric range, launching on the new sixth‑generation platform in late 2025 for 2026 model‑year deliveries. Toyota is also moving its Camry to an all‑hybrid range by 2026, reinforcing its hybrid-first approach.

On Lexus’s side, the new ES lineup offers both hybrid and fully electric variants. Meanwhile, Toyota continues to roll out hybrid powertrains across key segments like the refreshed Aygo X, Crown Signia, Highlanders, and more. This underlines that hybrid systems remain core to its global carbon‑cutting mission.

To be clear, most independent research agrees EVs have lower lifetime emissions overall

Studies by the International Council on Clean Transportation show that electric cars produce about 60 to 68% fewer emissions over their lives than gas-powered or hybrid cars. This is assuming an average global electricity mix. 

But that payoff depends on how clean the power grid is and how long the vehicle stays on the road.

Toyota’s not saying EVs are bad

It’s saying we need to play the long game smarter. The company sees hybrids as a faster, more scalable way to reduce emissions now. Especially in countries still working toward cleaner energy. In Toyota’s view, saving the planet might not mean betting everything on EVs. Sometimes, a smaller battery in 90 cars beats a giant one in a single vehicle.