Unlike other automakers, Toyota is not in a rush to jump on the electric vehicle bandwagon. It has taken timid steps towards pure electric cars, deciding instead to focus on hybrids. Chairman Akio Toyoda believes pure electric vehicles will never exceed a 30 percent market share, so the future of zero emissions is still highly uncertain. However, the Japanese brand has been gradually expanding its no-ICE lineup recently, with a pickup confirmed for 2025.
After unveiling the prototype in late 2022, Toyota says the Hilux Revo BEV will enter production towards the end of next year. This important revelation was made by one of the company’s executives in an interview this week with Reuters. The all-electric workhorse will be assembled in Thailand where trucks account for more than 50 percent of total sales.
The new Hilux without a combustion engine will compete with the Isuzu D-Max electric car, which will also be assembled in the Southeast Asian country. Toyota indicates that its upcoming electric truck will primarily be a Thai affair but is considering export markets.
10 the pictures
Technical specifications were not revealed during the interview, but Toyota previously said the range was “about 124 miles,” without specifying the test cycle. The only concept to have a floor-mounted battery was a single-cab Hilux with a 4×2 setup and long bed, based on the model sold in Thailand. Pras Ganesh, Executive Vice President, Toyota Motor Asia, said: Reuters This weight is a concern:
“The more range I have to put in, the more battery I have to put in, which means the weight of the car also becomes significantly heavier, which means the loading can be much lower.”
Of course, 124 miles is less than ideal, especially since we’re talking about a truck that typically carries a heavy load. Hopefully, Toyota engineers will find a good balance between avoiding cramming in a huge battery that would hinder practicality while also not resorting to a small battery that would provide limited range.
Toyota decided to do an EV conversion for the current generation Hilux even though the minivan has been around for nearly a decade. This could mean that the current model will continue for a few more years. Alternatively, its replacement may be a heavy-duty upgrade rather than a true next-gen truck, so work done for the electric derivative could be carried over to the ninth-generation model.
Toyota IMV-0 2023 concept
The Hilux Revo BEV isn’t the only electric Toyota truck we’ve seen in recent years. There was a Tacoma-like pickup at the end of 2021 and an EPU concept at the 2023 Japan Mobility Expo. At the same event last year, the company also introduced a small IMV-0 concept that doubles as an electric pickup truck.
The IMV-0 was already on sale in Thailand but with combustion engines instead. The minivan is inexpensive, starting at just over $13,000.
