Although demand for electric vehicles may slow, Toyota is moving forward with plans to launch its first electric pickup truck.
In an interview with Reuters published on Thursday, Pras Ganesh, executive vice president of Toyota Motor Asia, said an electric version of the Hilux global mid-size pickup truck would go into production by the end of 2025.
Production will be carried out at a factory in Thailand, where Toyota builds the current petrol, diesel and mild-hybrid versions of the Hilux for local sale and export.
Ganesh said the electric Hilux would be aimed primarily at Thailand, where pickup trucks account for more than 50% of vehicle sales, but was also being considered for export to other markets.
Toyota HiLux Revo BEV concept vehicle
Toyota first showed off an electric Hilux concept in 2022. There are no official specifications for the concept, which goes by the name Hilux Revo BEV, but Toyota has been using it for testing purposes since its reveal .
Toyota has hinted at an electric version of the Tacoma in the past and even debuted a concept in 2021. It’s likely that Toyota’s midsize truck for America will also spawn an electric option at some point.
There could also be a smaller, lifestyle-focused electric truck. Toyota took advantage of the 2023 Tokyo Motor Show to present the EPU concept, a compact electric truck that appeared ready for production.
Toyota plans to add many more electric vehicles in the coming years, while continuing to offer combustion engine vehicles, and in particular hybrid vehicles. Hybrid sales have surged over the past year, helping Toyota achieve record sales volumes. For the year ending March 31, sales of hybrids from the Toyota and Lexus brands increased 31% to 3.7 million units, helping these brands deliver a total of 10.31 million units . This is the first time that the total has exceeded 10 million units.