Toyota Hilux BEV: Invincible pick-up goes electric
Toyota has announced it will offer its ninth-generation Hilux pick-up with an all-electric powertrain.
The Toyota Hilux BEV will join diesel and hybrid variants when the radically redesigned one-tonne truck goes on sale in 2026. It will be joined by a hydrogen full cell version in 2028.
Toyota claims its electric Hilux doesn’t sacrifice on its core values of quality, durability and reliability and will appeal to fleet customers looking for zero-emissions driving with the practicality and robustness associated with the Hilux name.
It does, however, make some compromises on practicality. Pre-homologation testing suggests the Hilux electric will have a maximum payload of 715kg and a towing capacity of 1,600kg – some way short of the diesel variant’s 1,000kg and 3,500kg figures.
However, Toyota says that the Hilux BEV will retain all the off-road strength and capability of its combustion-engined stablemates. It uses the same body-on-frame construction as other versions and includes specific measures to protect the battery from damage or water ingress. Specific numbers haven’t been given, but it will also have the same wading depth as the ICE version.
The Hilux BEV also gets a bespoke multi-terrain system that adapts throttle, brake and torque control to suit different off-road situations and, says Toyota, is equivalent to the L4 range in a diesel model.
The electric Hilux is powered by two electric motors providing permanent four-wheel drive. Combined power is 193bhp while Toyota quotes 151lb ft of torque generated at the front axle and 198lb ft at the rear.
A 59.2kWh battery offers up to 150 miles of range and Toyota says it offers best-in-class DC charging to minimise vehicle downtime. This is understood to be 150kW. That’s quicker than the 120kW offered by the KGM Musso EV or the 50kW on the Isuzu D-Max EV, but both alternatives offer greater official range.
As well as a radical new powertrain, the new Hilux brings a major redesign with a Land Cruiser-inspired front end and new high-tech interior. The front end gets an angular makeover with high-set slimline headlights and the Toyota name spelled out between them. The Hilux BEV also gets a closed-off grille area and dedicated aero alloys wheels.
The ninth-generation Hilux will only be offered in double cab configuration and features a redesigned cabin with twin 12.3-inch screens and “an all-round elevation in sensory quality” . The new Hilux’s safety and driver assistance package has also been upgraded with low speed acceleration, proactive driving assist and an emergency driving stop system, along with blind spot monitor, safe exist assist and a driver awareness monitor.
The new Hilux BEV will go on sale in the UK in June 2026. Prices have yet to be confirmed but we would expect it to start in the region of £60,000, including VAT.
