Toyota chairman Akio Toyoda has revealed he remains one of the automotive industry’s strongest advocates for internal combustion engines, saying he often feels isolated as manufacturers accelerate their shift towards electric vehicles.

Speaking to Carwow, Toyoda said the industry’s rapid embrace of battery-electric vehicles was one of his biggest concerns in recent years.

“Everybody shifting to EV, that was the biggest fear for me,” he told the outlet.

The former Toyota president said he had long argued there was still a place for traditional engines, both for driving enthusiasts and for the thousands of jobs linked to engine development and manufacturing.

“Only three or four years ago, I was the only one to say I love the smell, I love the sounds, I love engines and I want to keep the jobs for engine suppliers,” Toyoda said. “But it seems to me I’m the only one. I feel very alone.”

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While Toyota now offers a growing range of electric vehicles globally, the company has consistently pursued a broader strategy than many rivals, investing in hybrids, plug-in hybrids, hydrogen technology and conventional combustion engines alongside battery-electric models.

The comments come as Toyota continues developing performance-focused petrol-powered vehicles through its Gazoo Racing division, even as many competitors transition their sports cars towards electrified powertrains.

Toyoda told Carwow that maintaining a diverse approach to future mobility remains important, despite criticism from some quarters that Toyota has been slower than rivals to fully embrace electric vehicles.

“If they say to me, ‘Hey, you’re too late, you should have shifted to BEV’, well, we are people who love cars and those people and myself fight even within the companies,” he said.

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Toyoda was speaking during a round of Japan’s Super Taikyu endurance racing series at Fuji Speedway, where Toyota fielded several experimental vehicles, including a hydrogen-powered GR Yaris and a mid-engined GR Yaris development prototype.

The chairman has long championed motorsport as a key part of Toyota’s vehicle development process and remains closely involved with Gazoo Racing projects, including the GR Yaris and future high-performance models.

His latest comments reinforce Toyota’s commitment to maintaining multiple technology pathways rather than focusing exclusively on battery-electric vehicles.