Toyota fast-tracks testing of its “city-focused” electric Hilux ute in Australia

Toyota unveiled its all-electric Hilux ute concept in Australia in August, which it coined the “Hilux Revo BEV concept” that was based on a vehicle showcased in Thailand earlier this year.

Toyota has now revealed selected local partners and an engineering team to evaluate what it calls this “city-focused” electric ute in Australia.

The Japanese company has been slow out of the blocks on EVs, and is yet to release a full battery electric car in Australia, other than through the Lexus brand. But it insists it is further along the electric path than thought.

“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,” said Sean Hanley, the head of sale and marketing at Toyota Australia.

He said the torque of the electric drivetrain was noticed to be better than the diesel counterpart. “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,” he said.

“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.”

According to Toyota, over 64,000 Hilux utes were sold in Australia in 2022. Meanwhile, in Thailand, it was more than double that figure with 145,000 sales.

As the concept ute’s focus is on city driving, the electric drivetrain would be highly sought after by businesses across Australia at a time when fuel prices remain high and the cost of energy is on the rise as well.

The Hilux Revo BEV concept was showcased at a motor show in Thailand. According to reports from the show, it’s built on the same platform as the internal combustion engine (ICE) platform. 

This concept shares similar dimensions to a single-cab Hilux ute. Locally, the single cab ute comes with a length of 5,265 mm and an overall width of 1,800 mm.