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Take one look at the new Toyota Hilux Revo BEV Concept truck, and it’s pretty clear that it’s not a Tacoma or a Tundra. But it is all electric. Many of us are waiting for a new all-electric Tacoma or Tundra to compete with the Ford F-150 Lightning and Silverado EV, but this little Hilux will certainly not be that truck. However it does show that, no matter how averse Toyota seems to making an EV pickup, it’s actually making an EV Pickup, even if it is for Southeast Asia.

The new Hilux Revo Concept isn’t for the U.S. market.

new toyota electric truck concept
Toyota’s new Hilux electric truck concept | Toyota

The new Hilux Revo Concept was unveiled at an event in Thailand celebrating 60 years of Toyota making and selling cars and trucks there. Basically, it’s a single-cab three-seat city runabout concept that will be produced. It will be Toyota’s first all-electric truck when it launches in late 2023 or early 2024, according to Toyota President Akio Toyoda, who announced the HiLux Revo Concept.

The new details on range, power, or towing ability were not released. Southeast Asia’s Toyota Hilux trucks have either a 201-horsepower gas engine or a small diesel. They’re not the luxurious powerhouses that the company makes for the U.S. market in comparison, like the Tacoma and Tundra, but they get the job done. In this truck’s case, it looks like a regular Hilux, but with a charge port and an EV-specific grille.

Toyoda is taking a realistic approach to building EVs.

New Toyota EV concept truck
Toyota’s new trucks for Thailand | Toyota

Toyoda said in his remarks that he’s not sure that an all-electric lineup in Toyota’s immediate future. He also said the company continues to explore other engine types, including hydrogen.

“I believe we need to be realistic about when society will be able to fully adopt Battery Electric Vehicles and when our infrastructure can support them at scale,” Toyoda said at the event. He said Toyota is also focusing on other ways to reduce its carbon footprint, including exploring hydrogen options.

Will there be a new electric Toyota Tacoma truck soon?

Though this video isn’t in English, it does show some great views of the new Toyota electric truck for Southeast Asia.

Many of us are expecting Toyota to produce a new electric version of the Tacoma or Tundra soon. America’s big three, Ram, Ford and General Motors, all have released or will release new EV trucks soon. The F-150 Lightning has caught on and is a sales hit for Ford. Chevy and GMC are seeing orders ramp up for their Silverado EV and Sierra EV trucks, while Ram is expected to show its new Revolution EV Truck early in 2023.

A new electric Tacoma has been previewed, but that truck is still likely years away as Toyota charts its EV future in the U.S. Toyota’s Tacoma truck and 4Runner SUV are aging. They’re still fine trucks, but it looks like Toyota is aiming to build an EV version of a truck soon. The company hasn’t said much, and it might not even be a Tacoma but instead something that is between its mid-sized Tacoma and full-sized Tundra trucks. 

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Dan Mayfield

Dan joined MotorBiscuit in 2022 with over 20 years of experience in journalism and a lifelong passion for anything related to the automotive industry. He grew up wrenching a 1949 Ford pickup truck and an MGB with his dad, learning how not to wire a fuel pump (he inadvertently set the MGB on fire).

After earning a bachelor’s degree in photojournalism from the University of New Mexico, Dan has contributed his expertise to a range of local outlets, including the City of Albuquerque, US Eagle, and the Alliance for Local Economic Prosperity.

On weekends, Dan spends Saturdays enjoying “cars and coffee” chats and, on Sundays, he’s watching the Route 66 Cruise roll through town. He also races motorcycles, and it’s not unusual to find him elbows-deep in his latest cafe racer build.

Taking advantage of the local desert terrain, Dan also enjoys exploring and driving off-road in his trusty Ram Rebel pickup truck, which provides personal insights into his contributions to our Trucks, SUVs, & Crossovers coverage. Dan strives to give our readers unique information about the dynamic automotive market, reading anything that has to do with cars, trucks, bikes, 4X4s, and, in his words, “everything with a motor.”

Dan has earned a number of accolades from the Public Relations Society of America, and is a University of Southern California, Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism Fellow.