It’s no secret that Toyota is going on the EV offensive this decade. Starting off with the BZ4X and Lexus RZ, Japan’s largest automaker aims to launch 10 new electric vehicles within the decade. One of these is the first all-electric Hilux.
The company unveiled the Hilux BEV prototype during Toyota Thailand’s 60th anniversary in December 2022. Toyota then showcased the same truck at Bangkok International Motor Show back in March. Now, the company is set to launch it by 2026. Should that plan fall into place, that makes it a prime competitor for the electric Mitsubishi Strada that will also be released this decade.
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This move was announced during the company’s livestream of its results for financial year 2023. The move to give the Hilux an all-electric powertrain is part of Toyota’s efforts to curb carbon emissions, along with the long-term goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. Toyota did not announce any specifics about the Hilux BEV just yet, but its report mentioned “IMV BEV”. Does this mean we can expect an all-electric Fortuner down the line? It’s too soon to tell, but it does open the possibility of that happening. Furthermore, the upcoming IMV-0 platform is said to accomodate a variety of powertrains, electric power included.
Given that it will be rolled out in 2026, there is a good chance that the electric model will be for the next-generation Hilux and not the current body that the prototype wears. However, the hardware fitted to the model displayed in Bangkok could be the one used for the production version due in a few years. Of course, Toyota will be doing more testing to make the electric Hilux as robust as it should be.
