Toyota has committed to making an electric version of the HiLux Revo BEV concept by 2025.
Executive Vice President of Toyota Motor Asia Pras Ganesh told Reuters the company will build the vehicle in Thailand by the end of 2025.
Thailand is a major hub for ute manufacturing with most of the utes sold in Australia built there.
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The South-East Asian nation is attempting to become a major hub for electric vehicle production, too.
Isuzu has plans to build an electric version of the D-Max dual-cab ute in Thailand.
Details on the electric HiLux are scarce but Toyota Australia had a prototype in Australia in 2023 for local assessment. The Toyota version is expected to be single-cab.
Toyota Australia’s Head of Sales and Marketing Sean Hanley said at the time the electric HiLux concept is more city focused rather than a rugged off-road vehicle like the current diesel-powered model.
“Our evaluation engineers and industry partners have confirmed that this city-focused HiLux BEV – while very much a concept vehicle – looks, feels and drives like a production model,” said Hanley.
“I’ve also had the opportunity to drive it – and it’s clear the concept vehicle’s all-electric powertrain delivers the impressive torque you’d normally expect from a diesel engine,” he said.
Toyota is working on solid state batteries and has previously stated it is aiming for the next-generation battery tech to be fitted in its cars from 2026.
It is possible the electric HiLux could be one of the first vehicles fitted with that tech.
Solid state batteries have numerous benefits: they are lighter, smaller, more energy dense and have a reduced risk of fire compared to conventional lithium-ion batteries.
They are often touted as providing a driving range of more than 1000km, which would be necessary for a ute that is required to tow and carry a payload.
There is no commitment to the vehicle coming to Australia after it enters production in Thailand, but Ganesh told Reuters the company is open to exporting the HiLux BEV.
The Thai market is even more obsessed with utes than Australia with pick-ups making up a large chunk of domestic sales.
Toyota could also have a plug-in hybrid version of the next-generation HiLux, which could use BYD’s technology.
It is believed that Toyota will use the Chinese company’s plug-in hybrid tech in two or three vehicles in the next few years.
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