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This is the Toyota Hilux Rev BEV concept, which was revealed by Toyota president Akio Toyoda at a recent ceremony celebrating the 60th anniversary of Toyota Motor Thailand (TMT).
The Hilux holds a special place in Toyoda’s heart, as he led the IMV (Innovative International Multi-Purpose Vehicle) project as a young executive two decades ago when TMT was chosen to engineer and build the global vehicle platform that underpinned the pick-up truck. The project eventually saw the introduction of the seventh-generation Hilux, which was called the Hilux Vigo in Thailand before being renamed to the Hilux Revo a generation later.
“Unfortunately, when I got the job, the launch of this new pick-up was in big trouble and way behind schedule. And because I was quite young for such a position at the time, and I also happened to have the last name Toyoda, as you can imagine, there were plenty of people in Japan placing bets on whether the project would fail. But I was determined to show them wrong,” said Toyoda in his speech.
“I was going to bet on the people of Toyota Thailand and no matter what it took, we were going to launch that pick-up truck on time. So, I went to Thailand, met with our engineers and together we worked as a team found solutions and made quick decisions. And sure enough, thanks to our Thai team members… we launched the vehicle on time! We called it the Hilux Vigo, and it was such a success, that it came to be known as the national car of Thailand!” he added.
With Toyota setting carbon neutrality goals for itself, the Hilux Revo BEV concept represents a peek into the future of the pick-up truck. Based on the single cab variant of the current Hilux, the concept in white features a largely closed-off grille, new headlamps and a charge port on the front left fender.
Beyond those changes and the nicer wheels, it looks pretty much like a regular Hilux Revo Standard Cab sold in Thailand. Beneath the metal, the chassis has been modified to accommodate an electric powertrain, although Toyota isn’t providing any details regarding power, range of charging capabilities.
Toyoda didn’t state when and if the concept will transition to becoming a production vehicle, although he did hint that at least some of the development work for the EV pick-up truck was done in Thailand.
In his speech, Toyota also said, “BEVs are not the only way to achieve the world’s carbon neutrality goals. Personally, I would rather pursue every option not just one options such as emission-free synthetic fuels and hydrogen.”
“As we work to achieve a sustainable future, I also believe we need to take a holistic approach to carbon neutrality, from how we source materials, to how we manufacture cars, to what powertrains we put in them, and how we dispose of them,” he continued.
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