After 57 Years, the Hilux Gets a Plug

When Toyota revealed the ninth-generation Hilux in November 2025, it added a battery-electric version to a pickup line that dates back to 1968, and a hydrogen fuel cell model is set to follow in 2028.

The new truck made its world premiere in Bangkok on November 10, with diesel, mild-hybrid diesel and electric versions announced at launch. The Hilux isn’t sold in the United States. Its job here falls to the Tacoma, which has no electric version.

Toyota’s global announcement lists a 59.2 kWh lithium-ion battery under the floor and electric motors on both axles producing a combined 144 kW, which gives the BEV full-time four-wheel drive. Toyota’s development target is a range of 300 km or more on the NEDC cycle for the Thai-market prototype. The truck measures 5,320 mm long, 1,855 mm wide and 1,800 mm tall on a 3,085 mm wheelbase.

Toyota’s UK arm gave more conservative, pre-homologation numbers for Europe. Its release quotes about 150 miles of WLTP range, a payload of about 715 kg and a towing capacity of about 1,600 kg, and says wading depth matches the combustion model. The BEV keeps a body-on-frame chassis with extra protection for the battery, and Toyota says it is aimed mainly at fleet customers.

The volume model in Western Europe will instead be the Hilux 2.8D 48V, which pairs the 2.8-liter diesel with a 48-volt battery and motor-generator. It keeps the payload of up to one tonne, the 3,500 kg towing rating and 700 mm wading depth that Hilux buyers expect. A fuel cell version will arrive in Europe and Oceania from 2028, Toyota said.

The styling theme is called "Tough and Agile," and Toyota says the new Land Cruiser influenced both the exterior and the cabin. The BEV goes without a conventional grille. Inside, the Hilux gets a new horizontal center console and, depending on grade and market, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, a touchscreen of up to 12.3 inches, a Driver Monitor Camera, Blind Spot Monitor and Safe Exit Assist.

Sales were set to begin in Asia in 2026, with diesel models due in Japan in the middle of the year and UK deliveries starting in June. "Hilux is a partner for life," Toyota chief branding officer Simon Humphries said at the launch.

The Toyota Report Take

An electric Hilux with about 150 miles of WLTP range and a 1,600 kg towing limit is not a replacement for the diesel, and Toyota’s focus on fleets is an honest admission of that. Still, the BEV gives Toyota a real electric pickup to sell abroad while it has none in the US, and American Tacoma buyers should watch how this truck does before Toyota decides whether to bring the idea here.