“ Toyota has always tried to be bilköparnas demand. We have introduced the Prius plug-in hybrid is already in the previous generation, and there were some markets with subsidies, for the payment of the cars. Then we could have sprung on to the market had increased. Then more countries that back their program. Therefore, we do not offer the plug-in hybrids.

“ It’s just that we’ve been waiting on that tax, and the subsidies, it would be better. When we are working towards the goals set for the year 2025, and in 2030, we can see that there is a need for more plug-in hybrid versions of large vehicles, and more electric vehicles in the småbilssegmentet.

“ I have a hard time saying that we are late. If you look at the regulations, which require manufacturers to be less than 95 grams, the average carbon dioxide emissions, so we are very good at. An individual think surely we should be able to offer more options. However, the market’s strong demand for our mix of vehicles means that we will need very few of the zero-emission cars such as the toyota prius, in order to meet the requirements up to 2021. This is not the case for many of our competitors, who will have to sell a new electric car, ahead of what the market was asking for, I think.

“ We’re going to introduce the Lexus UX 300e in the next year, so we’re not too far away from that, to begin selling an electric car. But the fact of the matter is that we don’t have to sell an electric vehicle in order to meet the EU targets, “ says Mr Harrison.

manufacturers are rushing to enter the electric car market today, says Harrison, is not dependent on the existence of a strong consumer demand for electric cars, it all depends on the tillverkarkrav to introduce them, so that they don’t have to pay billions of euros in fines for violating the rules (no more than 95 g/km average carbon dioxide emissions by 2021).

“ we are Studying the business case of electric vehicles, it is possible that they will not be profitable for most producers. However, it is a choice they make, rather than pay a fine, they sell the cars at a loss. We are not in that situation. We are waiting for, rather, on that of the calculus will be more mature.

“ Honestly, I don’t know. If you listen to the competition, there has never been a greater deal of uncertainty about how the market will evolve by 2020. This does not mean that the market is bad. What they are saying is that they are not sure that they are able to create a large enough demand from its customers for its electric-powered products. We’ll have to wait and see just how much customers are willing to pay for that, they are going to sell in the volume they have to sell, “ says Toyota Europe’s executive vice president.

He personally think that the prices will go down.

“ so It is with all of the technology and economies of scale.

“ We have already reached a position in our hybrid cars, which we do not expect a subsidy. For our plug-in hybrids will be the same, the technology is not all that different. The speed with which we get there is the interesting question, says Mr Harrison.

He pointed out that the electric cars of today are extremely vulnerable to government policy, at the same time, it is clear that the community is able to maintain large-scale subsidies in the long run.

“ I do think, however, that we will see additional subsidies, as in Germany, France and Italy. They want to help their hemmamärken. But only a fool relies on subsidies in the long term. Now have electric car market to operate in a sustained manner, in a profitable manner. The race has started!

for more information, see Toyota’s recall of 3.4 million vehicles.