A zero-emission Hilux.
Toyota's relationship with electric cars is not as direct as in other brands, since the Japanese brand is working on a wider variety of technologies for its future models. That, however, does not mean that it is not working on upcoming zero-emission vehicles: it has confirmed its electric 4×4 pick-up for 2025.
This is reported by Reuters, according to statements by the president of Toyota Thailand, Noriaki Yamashita.
As expected, it will be an electric version of the Toyota Hilux, but apart from that and the fact that it will be ready by 2025, on a date yet to be confirmed, there is no more information about it.
Of course, it is not an impediment for the rumors to have started. The first concerns the place where the model will be manufactured.
Although nothing has been finalized, it is considered that it will be in Thailand itself for several reasons. The first is that when the truck celebrated its 60th anniversary in the country, in 2022, that was when the electric prototype was presented, which was said to have been partially developed in the region.
The second is the fact that, although the Hilux is a global model that is sold massively in many regions of the planet, Thailand is one of its crucial markets.
Finally, Yamashita confirmed that the country will have an important role in the development of this zero-emissions version. Before the final production model goes into production, tests will be carried out in Pattaya, a city in the east of the country known for its tourism attraction.
The Japanese brand will bring a dozen test mules to it that will be used as public transport vehicles in the area, which will serve to evaluate their performance and improve it.
In the event that the electric Toyota Hilux is finally produced in Thailand, the Asian country will have scored an important point in the manufacture of zero-emission pick-ups, and just a few weeks ago it was also confirmed that the Isuzu D- Electric MAX, one of Toyota's main rivals, will also be produced there from 2025.
The next big question regarding the new variant is in which markets it will be launched. Europe appears to be a key region, since the Hilux accounts for 30% of all pick-ups sold there. The brand has confirmed that they have already received signs of interest in the zero-emissions version, but it has not specified that they are going to sell it.
It is something that, a priori, should happen, given the emissions regulations in the Old Continent, which have already made Toyota begin to electrify its popular pick-up.
Currently in Spain it is only sold with 150 and 204 HP diesel engines, but in the middle of this year a version with microhybrid technology based on the most powerful block will be added to the range, which improves its performance and efficiency, in addition to It will allow you to show off the ECO label of the General Directorate of Traffic (DGT).