Tom Friedman on Toyota's Duplicity
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto 
on 10. 3.07
Tom Friedman of the New York Times is on a roll of late; while we have been critical of his views on coal and energy, his article last week on 9/12 was on the button, and today he exoriates Toyota for supporting the American auto makers in their efforts to water down efforts by Congress to legislate improved mileage standards.
"Now why would Toyota, which has used the Prius to brand itself as the greenest car company, pull such a stunt? Is it because Toyota wants to slow down innovation in Detroit on more energy efficient vehicles, which Toyota already dominates, while also keeping mileage room to build giant pickup trucks, like the Toyota Tundra, at the gas-guzzler end of the U.S. market?
“Toyota wants to keep its green halo and beat G.M. in the big trucks, too,” said Deron Lovaas, vehicles expert at the Natural Resources Defense Council. “As the world’s largest automaker and inventor of the best-selling hybrid car, Toyota has a responsibility to lead, follow or get out of the way as Congress debates the first substantial fuel-economy boost in decades. Shamefully, Toyota has joined forces with older automakers that are getting their lunch handed to them in the marketplace, in part because they’ve consistently shunned fuel efficiency.” ::New York Times
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