How Sincere Is Toyota in Its Position as a “Green” Automaker?

In response to my post: Flagship Green Car Toyota Prius Faces Diminishing Influence, frequent commenter Glenn Doty notes: As for the Tundra…  Yes, that’s a pretty horrible purchase for those that don’t actually need the functionality of a pickup.  But those buyers are buying a pickup, not a sensible car… so whether they need it or not, there’s not a choice between a Tundra and a Prius… it’s between the F-150, the Ram and the Tundra… which are all pretty much the same (poor) efficiency.  If Toyota refused to sell the Tundra, then you’d just have more sales of the Ram and F-150… you wouldn’t have more sales of more efficient vehicles.

You are 100% correct.  My point is that if Toyota were sincerely committed to eco-friendly transportation, there are tons of things they could do to improve the fuel efficiency of their trucks.  Here’s a commercial for the Chevy Silverado that illustrates the reason they won’t: lighter trucks aren’t “manly.” As you watch the video, realize that the auto industry, though it could convince the audience that this isn’t true, is actively promoting it; in fact, just in case the viewer is too stupid to get it, he’s told, not once but twice, that the truck is “manly” because it’s made of the heaviest gauge steel.

That’s nauseating.