Electric car advocates Plug In America is calling for Toyota to quit the U. S. Chamber of Commerce. This is not an unprecedented move when it comes to global warming as companies like Apple, GE, Nike and Johnson & Johnson have all quite in protest of the Chamber’s climate policy.
According to Plug In America, “As you know, Toyota is a prominent member of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which just launched a $100-million campaign to pour millions into killing clean energy via its lobbying efforts. Recently, an uprising of companies fighting back against the Chamber of Commerce has begun, led by companies like Apple, Nike, Johnson & Johnson, and GE.”
Plug In America has teamed up with MoveOn.org for a letter writing campaign to get Toyota to change its policy. They are encouraging people to write letters to the editor of their local newspapers.
One reason that Toyota may be slow to come around is that up until this week, Honda was also dismissing Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV) in favor of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles (FCV). Honda has reversed it position, leaving Toyota as the only major automaker without a plan for BEV in the near future.
But, then again, even if Toyota does choose FCV or BEV it is a mystery why they would want to kill the Obama Climate Bill unless this affects their bottom line. Without a few BEV in their lineup Toyota may not be able to make their mandate especially in California where the automakers may accrue penalties if they don’t sell enough plug-in hybrids, BEV and FCV.