Toyota, CP Group tie up for net-zero plan

BANGKOK, Thailand – Toyota Motor Corp. (TMC) has partnered with the largest private conglomerate here, the Charoen Pokphand Group (CP Group), in an effort to achieve carbon neutrality or a state of net-zero carbon dioxide emissions in the country.

Addressing an audience on the occasion of Toyota Motor Thailand Co.’s 60th founding anniversary, TMC president Akio Toyoda said the two companies would work together to reduce carbon emissions “by rethinking the way (they) deliver consumer goods through zero-emission technology like fuel cell trucks and by making driving logistics more energy-efficient (through) connected technology.”

CP Group has a diverse portfolio of business interests ranging from agriculture to e-commerce. Notably, it operates one of the largest chains of convenience stores and supermarkets.

The auto executive revealed that Toyota will work with the CP Group to further the latter’s “current efforts to make hydrogen from biomass like chicken manure.” This will power a fleet of fuel cell trucks – to be deployed under the deal – utilizing the clean-burning gas

“As we work to achieve a sustainable future, I also believe we need to take a holistic approach to carbon neutrality, from how we source materials, to how we manufacture cars, to what powertrains we put in them, and how we dispose of them. We must remember that carbon is the real enemy not a particular powertrain and that we can’t reach carbon neutrality on our own. It must be a group effort and include other industries beyond automotive,” Toyoda said.

The TMC-CP Group will also look at making logistics operations in the country more energy-efficient using connectivity technology. The partnership is poised to pull in, according to Toyoda, other members of the Commercial Japan Partnership Technologies Corp. (CJPT), including Daihatsu, Suzuki, Isuzu and Hino.

“We brought our competitors together to unite and strengthen our efforts to build on this new opportunity for CO2 reduction,” he said.

For his part, CP Group senior chairman Dhanin Chearavanont said in a statement, “I am delighted that both companies have an opportunity to jointly consider collaboration toward carbon neutrality in Thailand and welcome any companies that share the same carbon neutrality ambitions.”

During the same presentation held at the Queen Sirikit Convention Convention Center, Toyoda also unveiled two pickup concepts, the IMV0 and Hilux Revo battery electric vehicle – both promising to be more environment-friendly than conventional internal combustion engine-powered vehicles.