Toyota is testing Hilux EV, production may start soon in Thailand

Toyota Motor is testing the new battery-electric HiLex pickup truck to assess its performance in various conditions. The carmaker is preparing to manufacture the vehicle in Thailand by the end of 2025.

"We intend to produce the HiLex BEV here," Prasad 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 declined to provide details about pricing or production volumes of the HiLex BEV, which will be Toyota's first EV pickup truck offering.

The Thai government said in March that rival Japanese automaker Isuzu Motors also plans to build its electric D-Max pickup truck in Thailand. The vehicle will be primarily targeted at the Thai domestic market, but Ganesh said the automaker will also consider exporting the HiLex BEV.
 
Toyota is testing the HiLex BEV for several 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 quite heavy, which means the loading can be very low," Ganesh said.

Toyota has benefited from the rising demand for hybrid cars as more consumers embrace petrol-electric hybrids, the company's longstanding strength, surpassing Tesla and China's BYD as leaders in the EV industry. According to Ganesh, Toyota anticipates a rise in hybrid vehicle sales in Thailand and other Southeast Asian nations.