The 100% electric Toyota Hilux will be manufactured in Thailand, where over half of vehicle sales are pickups. While the initial focus will be on the domestic market, plans for international exports are also on the table. Toyota may not be the first brand that comes to mind when thinking of electric vehicles, but the Japanese automaker continues to invest heavily in this area. One of the models they will introduce as part of this effort is the fully electric Toyota Hilux.
In an announcement, Toyota revealed that they introduced a prototype in late 2022 and plan to begin mass production next year. The electric Hilux will be produced in Thailand, a strategic location given that pickups account for more than half of vehicle sales in the country. The electric version of the Isuzu D-Max will also be manufactured here.
According to Toyota, the electric Hilux will initially be targeted at the Thai market, but there are considerations for sales in other countries as well. While technical details are still under wraps, Toyota previously indicated that the electric pickup would offer a range of around 200 kilometers (approximately 124 miles). This figure is quite low compared to the current market average.
Pras Ganesh, Vice President of Toyota Motor Asia, mentioned that they are testing the electric Hilux under various road and temperature conditions for multiple use cases. He stated:
“The more we increase the range, the larger the battery we need. This significantly increases the vehicle’s weight and reduces its load-carrying capacity. Will this meet customer needs? That’s our biggest challenge. We’re trying to find the right balance between the two.”
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