In Japan, where hybrid cars dominate, what Akio Toyoda says matters. Toyota Motor Corp. has been a pioneer of the technology since the first Prius rolled off the production line in 1997 and the president of the world¡¯s largest automaker has repeatedly criticized the government for pushing electric vehicles.
That isn¡¯t stopping Honda Motor Co. from steering into EVs at all costs. It¡¯s the first of Japan¡¯s automakers to state publicly it will phase out sales of gasoline-powered cars completely, setting 2040 as the goal and giving newly minted Chief Executive Officer Toshihiro Mibe a once-in-a-career chance to put his stamp on a firm that can trace its lineage back 84 years.
¡°It¡¯s a very bold target,¡± said Yachiyo Tanaka, an analyst at automotive research company Fourin. ¡°Honda has pledged to pull ahead of other automakers by introducing the latest technologies.¡±
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