Toyota to assemble Hilux BEV in Thailand by end-2025
Toyota is currently testing the battery-electric Hilux BEV to assess its performance as it prepares to commence the production of the truck in Thailand by the end of 2025.
According to Reuters, Thailand is a critical market for Toyota, with pickup trucksmaking up more than half of total vehicle sales. The company also has a large manufacturing plant in the country.
“Our intention is to be producing the Hilux BEV over here,” Pras Ganesh, executive vice president of Toyota Motor Asia told Reuters.
Ganesh did not provide any details on pricing or production volume for the Hilux BEV, which would be Toyota’s first electric pickup truck offering.
He added that the pickup truck will be primarily targeted at the Thai domestic market but Toyota will also consider exporting the model.
The Japanese automaker is testing the Hilux BEV for various use cases in different road and temperature conditions.
“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,” he added.
Meanwhile, Toyota’s closest rival Isuzu Motors also plans to assemble its electric D-Max pickup truck in Thailand.