Electric HiLux incoming! New Toyota HiLux REVO heads for production in Thailand as Japanese giant beats Ford Ranger to BEV workhorse
Hot on the heels of the Isuzu D-Max EV, Toyota has now announced it too is pushing its Toyota HiLux REVO BEV into production at its factory in Thailand – and the battery-electric ute could be heading to Australia.
Already teased in Australia as a working prototype with a real-world range of more than 230km, the Toyota HiLux REVO BEV originally started life as a project created by Toyota Daihatsu Engineering Manufacturing (TDEM), which invested a seven-figure sum on creating a working proof-of-concept.
Now, according to Reuters, senior bosses within the Japanese firm have greenlit the project with production set to commence in late 2025.
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Helping reportedly make a business case for the new battery-electric ute was the news rival Isuzu had approved its zero-emission pick-up for production back in March.
Thailand has also recently had an influx of Chinese brands flood the market, with the suggestion Toyota was concerned new EVs would beat it to market.
“Our intention is to be producing the Hilux BEV over here,” Pras Ganesh, executive vice president of Toyota Motor Asia, told Reuters on the sidelines of the Future Mobility Asia summit, referring to the battery-electric vehicle.
Ganesh refused to provide any details of the production HiLux BEV, nor indicated how much Toyota hopes to sell if for, but did say the Hilux BEV would be produced for export too, which means it could be sold in Australia in 2026
Before it is signed off the HiLux will now undertake real-world testing both in hot and cold climates, says Toyota Asia’s VP.
“The more range I have to put on it, the more battery I have to put on it, which means the weight of the vehicle also becomes significantly heavier, which means the loading can be much less,” Ganesh said. “So ‘Is it going to meet the customer’s usage needs?’ is always our biggest issue. We are always trying to understand what they do.”
Last year Toyota sold an incredible 265,949 cars in Thailand alone, commanding an impressive 34.3 per cent share of the market. It hopes that 50 per cent of all the new battery-powered Toyota HiLux REVO BEV it will make will be sold locally.
