TOYOTA LOBBYING FOR SLOWER EV SWITCH OVER

Even as other automakers embraced electric cars, Toyota bet its future on the development of hydrogen fuel cells — a costlier technology that has fallen far behind electric batteries — with greater use of hybrids in the near term. 

That means a rapid shift from gasoline to electric on the roads could be devastating for the company’s market share and bottom line.

In recent months, Toyota has quietly become the auto industry’s strongest voice opposing an all-out transition to electric vehicles — which proponents say is critical to fighting climate change, Hiroko Tabuchi reports in The New York Times.

Last month, Chris Reynolds, a senior executive who oversees government affairs for the company, traveled to Washington for private meetings with congressional staff members and outlined Toyota’s opposition to an aggressive transition to all-electric cars. He argued that gas-electric hybrids like the Prius and hydrogen-powered cars should play a bigger role, according to four people familiar with the talks - link - Philip Cheung - link