One bZ4X or 92 Hybrids? Toyota’s answer explains everything

KUALA LUMPUR: When Toyota puts up a slide at the pre-Japan Mobility Show 2025 briefing saying one bZ4X equals ninety-two Yaris Cross Hybrids in total CO₂ impact, you can’t help but stop and think — wait, what?

Because that single number sums up exactly why Toyota has been so hesitant to commit fully to EVs. It’s not that they can’t. It’s that they’ve done the maths.

That 71.4 kWh battery pack inside the bZ4X might be Toyota’s most advanced yet. But with that same amount of battery material, Toyota says it could instead build 92 Yaris Cross hybrids, and together, those cars would produce less total CO₂ over their lifetime than that one EV.

It’s not about tailpipes anymore — it’s about how much carbon you spend just to make something cleaner.

For Toyota, this isn’t an excuse. It’s a reality check. The company’s engineers are basically asking: if battery resources are limited, and the world still runs mostly on fossil energy, wouldn’t it make more sense to spread that clean technology wider instead of deeper?

EVs aren’t the Magic Bullet

Toyota’s point is uncomfortable but true — EVs aren’t automatically clean.

Yes, they have zero tailpipe emissions. But making one — from mining lithium and nickel to refining them into battery cells — still creates plenty of CO₂. And depending on where your electricity comes from, charging that EV might not be much greener either.

In much of Asia, the power grid still leans heavily on coal or gas. Which means an EV here could carry a larger carbon footprint than a hybrid driven efficiently. That’s the part Toyota keeps reminding us of: you can’t separate the car from its ecosystem.

Asia’s energy reality

This is why Toyota’s roadmap looks different from what’s happening in Europe or the US.

For the next 5 to 10 years, Asia will still depend on fossil fuels. So Toyota’s priority isn’t to abandon combustion overnight — it’s to make it as efficient and clean as possible while new infrastructure catches up.

In this region, Toyota sees some potential in biofuels — Malaysia with palm-based biodiesel, Indonesia pushing B40 and B50, and India developing bio-ethanol. These fuels can cut emissions today, using existing cars and supply chains.

Hybrids, then, are the logical bridge. They don’t need chargers, don’t rely on unstable rare-earth markets, and already cut emissions drastically in everyday use. It’s not flashy, but it’s effective.

Toyota also isn’t shy about calling out the dark side of clean tech. Mining for rare-earth materials like lithium, cobalt, and nickel is expensive, energy-intensive, and not always environmentally friendly.
And because the supply chain is concentrated in just a few regions, it’s a ticking time bomb for both cost and sustainability.

So rather than chasing EV volume at any cost, Toyota’s strategy is to use every gram of battery material as efficiently as possible.
If 71 kWh can decarbonize one EV, or 92 hybrids — they’ll take the 92.

Hydrogen and Renewables: Still in the picture

Of course, Toyota hasn’t given up on the future.
Hydrogen remains a big part of its long-term plan — both in fuel-cell (FCEV) and hydrogen-combustion (H₂ ICE) form. The company’s also investing in renewable energy infrastructure, exploring how bio-waste could generate clean hydrogen for transport and industry.

But again, this all takes time. And Toyota’s stance is simple: it’s not about being the first to flip the switch — it’s about being ready when the grid, the fuel, and the customers are ready too.

When you zoom out, Toyota’s slow-and-steady approach isn’t about stubbornness. It’s about efficiency. From optimizing logistics routes to reduce CO₂ in delivery fleets, to re-thinking how much energy a single product “costs” the planet, Toyota’s playing a systems game — not a showroom one.

Because if one bZ4X can’t clean the air as effectively as ninety-two hybrids can, maybe “slow” isn’t the right word. Maybe it’s just smart.

Toyota’s 30×30 Mission — 30 percent of all sales in Asia to be electrified by 2030 — still sounds ambitious. But how they get there will look different from anyone else.

And that’s the point. Toyota’s not trying to win the race to EVs.
They’re trying to make sure we all get to the finish line — with enough resources left to keep going it seems.

Speaking of Yaris Cross hybrids, Toyota Malaysia...when will we get this fabled vehicle? Isn't it way past due already?

Also read: Why Toyota’s “Best in Town” Idea means you’ll never see a Tundra in Malaysia