North American sellers have a well-educated pal and advocate within the newly named CEO of the world’s largest automaker, mentioned Jack Hollis, the pinnacle of gross sales for Toyota Motor North America.

Koji Sato, a longtime govt at Toyota Motor Corp. in Japan and a protege of present CEO Akio Toyoda, will succeed his mentor in working the automaker efficient April 1. As the pinnacle of gross sales for its North American arm, Hollis advised sellers Thursday on the J.D. Energy Auto Summit in Dallas that Sato is aware of the North American franchised supplier mannequin and is a fan.

The succession announcement “was nice for us in North America, as a result of he is been [coming to] the U.S. over 10 years to check our market,” Hollis mentioned. “He’s an engineer of engineers, very enthusiastic about North America and sellers and the franchise mannequin, and the product itself.”

In different feedback, Hollis defended Toyota’s cautious method to battery electrical automobiles, reiterating the corporate’s carbon discount technique that continues to develop EVs whereas counting on easier-to-manufacture hybrid and plug-in hybrid drivetrains as more practical to the general objective of decreasing emissions. He contrasted that with different automakers who’ve gone all-in on EVs to the detriment of different potential options.

“Toyota is one hundred pc dedicated to EVs, and hydrogen, and plug-in hybrid and hybrid. The objective is to cut back carbon emissions as quick as doable in any method doable. It is to not promote EVs,” Hollis mentioned, including that the scarce minerals wanted for battery manufacturing is a pure limiting issue, as is value. He mentioned carbon reductions are more practical when extra shoppers contribute.

“In case you simply take lithium, I can construct one $65,000 EV or seven $48,000 plug-in hybrids that produce seven instances the [carbon emission] discount,” Hollis mentioned. “Or I can construct 109 $30,000 Priuses and scale back the carbon emissions from extra shoppers much more.”