A fresh report says there will be a production version of the electric Toyota Hilux. Here are some early details.
A report from Reuters has confirmed the electric Toyota Hilux will be going into production in Thailand at the end of 2025. “Our intention is to be producing the Hilux BEV over here,” Pras Ganesh, executive vice president of Toyota Motor Asia told Reuters. Primarily focused on the Thailand market, the electric Hilux could be exported too.
Now whether we’ll get this electric Hilux locally remains to be seen as firstly, electric cars are subject to unique import duties that make them costly and secondly, there’s a Toyota factory in South Africa, located near Durban, KwaZulu-Natal. While its too early in the production tale to make accurate predictions, the option of taking the know-how/recipe of the Thai electric Hilux and building it right here in SA is on the table.
In the greater scheme of things, Toyota has taken the decision to not fully commit to an all-electric future, with petrol-hybrid technology taking priority. Interestingly, Toyota is not the only brand going down the electric bakkie route as Isuzu has confirmed an electric D-Max is in the works and will also be assembled in Thailand.
While not all technical details are known, Toyota has already suggested that its electric Hilux will offer a range of around 200 km, which we think is adequate for around town usage. The concept that was revealed a few years ago had a floor-mounted battery in a single-cab configuration.
We’re expecting an all-new 9th-generation Toyota Hilux to be revealed globally next year and it will be fascinating to see where an electric derivative fits into the hierarchy. All we can say right now is watch this space, the bakkie segment is going to be very interesting over the next few years.
Further Reading
Want to purchase a new or used Toyota? Browse vehicles for sale
