The Toyota HiLux is a motoring icon and the company's engineers and selected industry partners have been given the opportunity to evaluate the company's first fully electric battery-powered HiLux prototype.
As Australia's biggest selling car, and with the growing demand for electric vehicles, plenty of interest is expected in the development, although at this stage the company is labelling the car more "city-focused".
HiLux has been Australia's best-selling vehicle for the past seven years with more than 64,000 sales in 2022.
Toyota's vehicle evaluation team undertook confirmation drives of the prototype, with several large-volume HiLux customers and other clients also asked to put the vehicle through its paces and provide their feedback.
Toyota's decision to send the concept to Australia involved close collaboration with Toyota Thailand associates who built the HiLux BEV as a mobile proving ground, amid global plans to electrify Toyota's commercial vehicles.
The compressed Australian confirmation program has been completed and the vehicle returned to Thailand where the Toyota distributor will assemble a demonstration fleet of HiLux-based electric share taxis for their domestic market.
Toyota Australia vice president sales, marketing and franchise operations Sean Hanley said the HiLux prototype confirmed that Toyota was far more advanced in developing battery-electric vehicles than most people appreciated.
"Our evaluation engineers and industry partners have confirmed that this city-focused HiLux BEV - while very much a concept vehicle - looks, feels and drives like a production model," Mr Hanley said.
"I've also had the opportunity to drive it - and it's clear the concept vehicle's all-electric powertrain delivers the impressive torque you'd normally expect from a diesel engine.
"It is further evidence of the broad scope of Toyota's multi-path strategy for achieving carbon-free mobility, applying different powertrain solutions to suit different user needs and operating environments worldwide."
He said Toyota Australia was optimistic about the prospects for the type of city-focused HiLux BEV envisaged by the concept vehicle and would be keen to bring any such a vehicle to Australia.
"Under the skin, this vehicle is powered by Toyota's EV-related technologies developed over more than a quarter of a century, including batteries, motors, inverters and power-control units," he said.
"It's a strong indicator of Toyota's determination to overcome the challenges of electrifying our commercial vehicles, ensuring there are multiple options that can meet the expectations of end users."
The HiLux Revo BEV Concept program is the latest chapter in Toyota's Thai-Australian relationship that was also instrumental in the development of the recently launched HiLux GR Sport.
The HiLux is even more popular in Thailand than Australia, with demand topping 145,000 vehicles in 2022.
Thailand is the "ute capital" of the automotive world, a production powerhouse that builds HiLux and competitor workhorse vehicles for carmakers and markets around the world.
Paula Thompson
Paula Thompson is ACM's National Machinery and Ag Tech writer. She has been an agricultural journalist for more than 20 years. Prior to her current role, she was a reporter with the Stock Journal, covering livestock markets and the grains industry.
Paula Thompson is ACM's National Machinery and Ag Tech writer. She has been an agricultural journalist for more than 20 years. Prior to her current role, she was a reporter with the Stock Journal, covering livestock markets and the grains industry.
