An all-electric Toyota pickup may be closer than expected. According to the company’s Thailand president, Toyota will launch an electric Hilux pickup by the end of 2025. The move comes after Japanese rival Isuzu is set to reveal its first 100% electric truck later this month.
An all-electric Toyota Hilux pickup is (finally) coming
Toyota’s Hilux is one of the top-selling pickup trucks globally, so it would make sense for an all-electric version.
The Toyota Hilux is built in six nations with sales across 180 countries and regions. Despite releasing its first “electrified” Hilux Hybrid 48V in December, it still featured a 2.8L diesel engine. The update provided a modest 5% improvement in fuel efficiency.
Toyota even unveiled a hydrogen fuel cell Hilux prototype last year. Many are wondering when or if we will see a battery-electric Toyota Hilux pickup roll out.
Despite the Japanese automaker’s reluctance, Toyota will unveil an electric Hilux model by the end of 2025.
Speaking to reports during the Bangkok International Motor Show, Toyota Thailand president Noriaki Kamashita said the Hilux EV would be ready by the end of next year.
Fending off incoming EV rivals
Toyota expects to sell 250,000 vehicles in Thailand this year despite EVs quickly gaining market share in the region.
Japanese automakers like Toyota and Nissan have long dominated the Thai market, but new electric models are stealing sales momentum.
Toyota still accounts for a third of Thailand’s auto sales, but EV adoption is rising. Thailand wants 30% of vehicles built in the nation to be electric by the end of the decade.
Global EV leader BYD was Thailand’s top-selling electric car brand last year. The BYD Atto 3 was the best-selling EV with over 19,200 models delivered. BYD reportedly began trial production of the Atto 3 in Thailand last week, according to CarNewsChina.
Toyota’s announcement comes after Rival Isuzu announced plans to build an electric version of its best-selling D-MAX pickup.
Isuzu president Shinsuke Minami said that the automaker “plans to produce a BEV pickup truck in Thailand” going forward. The electric pickup will make its debut at the Bangkok International Auto Show.
Electrek’s Take
Is Toyota really launching an electric Hilux truck this time? According to the company’s Thailand president, the EV will launch by the end of next year.
Despite revealing the Hilux Revo BEV concept in Thailand in 2022, little has been released since. The electric Toyota truck was spotted testing in Australia in October, but comments from executives suggested the EV was further away than expected.
Top comment by Ian Macdonald
Pickups are one of the most challenging formats to electrify. Getting a large battery into a very efficient vehicle is difficult. Toyota has not shown much creativity in its BEVs so far, and it seems likely they will just jam a battery and some electric motors into a modified hilux body and hope for the best. It is likely to be a major disappointment, but that will just feed into the Toyota narrative that allows them to keep building and selling their ICE versions.
Perhaps a little competition from Isuzu and Chinese automakers like BYD will push Toyota to launch the electric truck finally.
Isuzu’s D-MAX is the second best-selling truck in Thailand, behind only the Toyota Hilux. However, the lead was minor, with 9,354 Hilux models and 9,325 D-MAXs sold in January.
Meanwhile, after launching in July 2022, BYD already accounted for a third of the nation’s EV sales and had a 4% share of Thailand’s total auto market in January.
Source: Reuters
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