Toyota Canada Responds to Proposed Federal Zero Emission Regulation

TORONTO, ON – February 16, 2023 – In a speech to key Canadian auto industry stakeholders last night, Toyota Canada President & CEO Larry Hutchinson reiterated Toyota’s global commitment to reduce carbon emissions, but disagreed with the federal government’s currently proposed approach, which prioritizes zero emission vehicle sales instead of addressing the need for GHG emission reductions across the total vehicle fleet.

On behalf of Toyota, Hutchinson offered to work with government to implement strategies that will reduce emissions faster but more flexibly than the proposed federal ZEV mandate can accomplish, ensuring greater affordability and more options to meet the diverse needs of Canadians.  

Hutchinson stressed that a robust and resilient response to the carbon challenge needs to consider every vehicle on Canadian roads - and incorporate all the technologies we have available to us - to start bringing down our overall emissions now. He noted that Toyota currently offers a full range of electrified vehicles in Canada including hybrids, plug-in hybrids, battery electric vehicles and fuel cell electric vehicles and is working on additional technologies in the company’s pursuit of carbon neutrality.

“Complex problems do not lend themselves to simple solutions… and climate change is a very complex problem. If a technology can help Canada reduce its overall carbon emissions, shouldn’t it be considered?

“Toyota’s commitment to achieving net zero carbon is longstanding and well documented. We’re not only on record, but our actions … from our manufacturing operations to our newest facilities to the mix of products and technologies we offer … have demonstrated our commitment.

“And we’re not waiting to take further action.

“This year, 40% of the vehicles we sell in Canada will be electrified.  That means we’re prioritizing the carbon reduction of more than 80,000 electrified vehicles … immediately and throughout their entire lifespan.” 

Hutchinson ended his speech by stressing the urgency of getting the regulation right.

“Our mission is too important and too impactful to get wrong,” Hutchinson stressed. “The cost of making a mistake is too high.”

Click here to read the full speaking notes.

About Toyota Canada

Toyota Canada Inc. (TCI) is the exclusive Canadian distributor of Toyota and Lexus vehicles. Toyota has sold over six million vehicles in Canada through a national network of 287 Toyota and Lexus dealerships. Toyota is dedicated to bringing safety, quality, dependability and reliability to the vehicles Canadians drive and the service they receive. TCI’s head office is in Toronto, with regional offices in Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal and Halifax, and parts distribution centres in Clarington and Vancouver. Toyota also operates two manufacturing facilities in Canada. Having produced more than nine million vehicles, popular Canadian models built at these facilities include Toyota RAV4, Toyota RAV4 Hybrid, Lexus RX 350 and RX 450h hybrid, as well as Lexus NX 250, NX 350 and NX 350h hybrid. The company has sold more than 19 million electrified vehicles worldwide and is the number one seller of electrified vehicles in Canada.