Toyota is to build an electric pickup truck, and has previewed the design among 30 – yes 30 – new electric vehicle concepts.
It’s unclear at this stage exactly where the electric Toyota truck, bluntly named the Pickup EV at this stage, would fit into the company’s current pickup line-up. But it seems that it is currently targeting the American market more than Europe.
Is this an electric Hilux?
Almost certainly not. It’s more likely a preview version of an electric Toyota Tacoma – though it could also be an electric Toyota Tundra. Both those nameplates are models currently sold in the USA.
That doesn’t mean Toyota isn’t working on an electric Hilux, however, as increasingly tough emissions regulations are going to make life difficult for conventional pickups in the UK and Europe in coming years.
The trouble is that present technology makes it difficult for anyone to build an electric pickup that would meet UK commercial vehicle regulations that insist on a payload of at least 1,000kg (1.0 tonne).
Hence all the real-world electric pickups we’ve seen so far, such as the Ford F-150 Lightning and Rivian R1T are larger American-market models.
So perhaps any future electrified Toyota Hilux would begin as a hybrid rather than a pure EV.
Are there any technical details yet?
None at all. Keep that breath baited for future announcements, as we’ll bring you more news on Toyota’s electric pickup as soon as we have it.
Also read:
>> The best electric pickups coming soon
>> The best pickups you can buy now
>> Our full Toyota Hilux review
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