Toyota Hilux EV to arrive next year, exec says

The Toyota Hilux is iconic. The "indestructible" (in the words of old Top Gear) pickup truck can be seen across the world, and one of Toyota's key markets for it is Thailand. Thus it's important to listen when the president of Toyota Thailand, Noriaki Yamashita, says the all-electric battery powered Hilux EV could arrive by the end of next year. Specifically, the company is aiming to mass produce the Hilux EV by the end of 2025.

He didn't specify where the Hilux EV will be made - Thailand having the status of a regional automaking hub, it could well be there. Toyota is the Thai market leader, accounting for a third of sales.

Next month, Toyota will deliver a dozen Hilux EV pickup trucks to the town of Pattaya in Thailand "for trials as public transportation", Yamashita said. It's unclear what exactly that entails, but that will be our first ever glimpse at the Hilux EV, so we're looking forward to it.

Toyota's sudden need to communicate about the Hilux EV's launch time frame seems very connected to the fact that one of its main competitors in the Thai market, Isuzu, just announced that it would make a battery electric version of its D-Max truck in Thailand "by 2025".

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