Toyota Motor unveiled its first battery-electric pickup truck at an event in Bangkok, introducing the Hilux BEV alongside diesel variants as the Japanese automaker plays catch-up in electrification. The vehicle launches in Asia from 2026, with limited production targeting just 500 annual sales in Thailand.
The electric Hilux carries a modest 59.2 kilowatt-hour battery delivering approximately 240 kilometers of range under WLTP standards—about 150 miles—raising questions about its practicality beyond urban delivery routes. Toyota acknowledges the range limitation stems from payload considerations, with larger batteries adding weight that would compromise the truck’s 715-kilogram carrying capacity.
The dual-motor system generates 144 kilowatts combined output with four-wheel drive, while maintaining the traditional body-on-frame construction that has defined the model since 1968. Thailand-based production begins next month at 1.49 million baht ($43,700), positioning the BEV variant 67% above the base diesel model’s price point.
The debut comes as Toyota’s dominance in Thailand’s crucial pickup segment faces pressure from Chinese electric vehicle manufacturers and local rival Isuzu, which already launched its own battery-electric D-Max. Toyota holds 46.4% of Thailand’s one-ton pickup market as of June, though that commanding position has eroded from previous years. The company will also develop a hydrogen fuel-cell Hilux variant for European and Oceania markets starting in 2028, pursuing what it calls a “multi-pathway approach” to electrification rather than committing solely to batteries.
