BP’s enthusiasm for EVs and green tech is a mixed bag
If you’re suspicious of Big Oil latching its future on electric vehicles, you’re not alone. A Google search for “Beyond Petroleum,” the full name of BP, first auto-fills with the term “greenwashing” added to the brand name.
Green technology has clearly been on the minds of the British petroleum company for quite some time. Executives swapped out the national adjective in its name for the future-focused substitute already in 2000.
Other ‘Big Oil’ environmental track records
Shell, BP’s UK rival, has had similar ups and downs in its attempts to improve its impact on the climate for decades.
Chevron and ExxonMobil’s reputations are potentially even more at odds with the ethos of EVs.
Chevron’s EV battery production in the 2000s was suspected of being a ruse to stifle competition to gasoline, and while the company has invested in greener energy projects, their commitment to them has been limited at best.
ExxonMobil didn’t acknowledge the reality of climate change until 2014, and in 2019, CEO Darren Woods was quoted saying he doesn’t get the point of electric vehicles at all. Evidence of the company’s efforts to lobby against eco-friendly policies date as recently as August 2021.
Gas likely won’t be cheap for awhile