[whynot]

We live in a capitalistic society, where the means of production is private. Which means that individual investors either make, or assign to their agents (aka Management), decisions on how to invest their money. The vehicle industry is NOT about making cars. It is not about saving the planet. It is not about who wins the Bathurst 1000. The vehicle industry is about making money for its investors. Things like cars, saving (or not) saving the planet, or winning the Bathurst 1000 is simply a byproduct of this investment process.

The beauty about capitalistic manufacturing is that the private investor places individual bets as to what we mugs are prepared to pay the most for. Hence, the proliferation of choice. It also explains why when a certain vehicle is successful, imitation (which results in competitive pricing) is the name of the game.

So, I, for one, am very happy to see Toyota continue down its path. Toyota is full of top shelf engineers and marketers, who have formed the view that their white-goods-automotive approach is the best way to make money. Toyota specialise in ripping production costs out of a car and flogging them off at a high price. The Toyota of 2023 is making noises that ICE is the way to go for now, and then bridge across to hydrogen down the track.

I am also very happy to see Telsa continue down its path as well. Telsa is also full of top shelf engineers and marketers, who have formed the view that EV is the way to go. Telsa have gone the tech route, and they too are now flogging off their vehicles at a price way above manufacturing costs.

My advice is not to take sides and become a fanboy for either ICE, hydrogen, or EV technology. But to buy some popcorn, take a ringside seat, and what manufactures fight a bloody battle for supremacy. That way, when the time comes to put your hard earned cash down for the next car, there is a choice in drivetrain technology.