Toyota plans volume production of a battery-electric Hilux pickup truck by the end of 2025. The announcement made by the president of Toyota Thailand came just a few days after rival Isuzu Motors said it would manufacture its D-Max electric pickup in Thailand by 2025.
Speaking to Reuters at the ongoing 2024 Bangkok International Motor Show, Toyota Thailand’s Noriaki Yamashita said the Hilux BEV could be ready by the end of next year but did not specify where the vehicle would be produced.
Related: Toyota Launches the New 2024 Hilux Champ in Thailand
For those unaware, Toyota revealed the Hilux BEV as a concept in Thailand back in December 2022. According to Toyota, the Hilux EV is modified to install electric motors, batteries, chargers, and other accessories. The styling features a closed fascia as EVs don’t need a grille to cool the radiator & other engine components. Plus there is a charging port located at the front fender, apart from which the rest of the vehicle remains unchanged.
Toyota along with Nissan have long dominated the Thai market, but of late, the new electric models are stealing sales momentum. Though Toyota still accounts for a third of Thailand’s auto sales, EV adoption is rising fast. Moreover, Thailand wants 30% of vehicles built in the nation to be electric by the end of the decade so Toyota needs to develop an electric portfolio there in order to stay relevant in the age of EVs.
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