Penna Dexter

Last month the White House and the Consumer Product and Safety Commission denied that they’ve been working with climate groups to ban gas stoves after the GOP called them out on it. But, in a recent column, The Wall Street Journal’s Kim Strassel warns readers that, “A ban is the plan.” She describes last month’s White House “electrification summit" and says there is “a coordinated, calculated — and well-funded — strategy” to kill off gas stoves and all "'combustion appliances’ in houses, (including your washer, dryer, and furnace).”

This is all part of the climate Left’s quest to get to net zero emissions by 2050. Key to that effort is the conversion of the driving public to electric vehicles — EVs. Many major automobile manufacturers have announced their plans to pursue all-electric lineups.

But one major car maker has been more cautious. Although Toyota, the world’s top-selling automaker, has been producing electric, autonomous, and internet-controlled cars, it has not made a commitment to go all-electric. But there’s a changing of the guard taking place at Toyota. Since 2009, the company has been led by Chief Executive Akio Toyoda, grandson of the man who started the business before World War II. The Journal points out that “Mr. Toyoda has staked out an unusual position in the industry by questioning whether EVs should be pursued exclusively.”

Mr. Toyoda speaks of the downsides of EVs, including insufficient charging infrastructure, the fact that EVs must rely on carbon-emitting electric power sources, and the cost and difficulty of procuring materials necessary for EVs, such as lithium for batteries. He has expressed the belief that consumers should be able to choose from a variety of options, including hybrid gas-electric vehicles — Toyota’s innovation — and hydrogen-powered cars.

Mr. Toyoda, age 66, says “We’re facing a once-in-a-century change in the auto industry.” He will stay on as chairman. Perhaps his influence will help the company choose wise paths rather than join the net-zero-driven rush to electric.