Toyota has long been a major force in the pickup truck segment, with the Tacoma midsize truck and Tundra full-size truck. However, while the Rivian R1T, Ford F-150 Lightning, GMC Hummer EV, and Tesla Cybertruck aim to be big sellers for the electric truck segment, Toyota has yet to release an EV truck. That will soon change, though, for Toyota recently revealed what looks to be a Tacoma EV. Will the Toyota Tacoma EV be the best electric pickup truck?

Toyota changes course and goes all-electric

In December 2021, Toyota revealed many different electric vehicles. The Japanese automaker also announced plans to make a big push to go all-electric in the future. This move is significant — not only for Toyota but also for the automotive industry.

Toyota helped kick off the eco-friendly wave with the debut of the Prius Hybrid more than two decades ago. It followed suit with a burgeoning lineup of efficient hybrid vehicles. However, while many other automakers have already released electric vehicles in previous years, Toyota has stuck to its strategy of focusing on hybrids.

Realizing that they may lose out to their competitors, Toyota now goes full force into the EV era. It released the Toyota bZ4X crossover EV this year. Also, Toyota has many other electric vehicles in the works, including a Tacoma EV electric pickup truck and an FJ Cruiser-style electric SUV.

What will a Toyota Tacoma EV truck look like?

Why could the Tacoma EV be the best electric pickup truck? A great deal of mystery surrounds a Tacoma electric truck, but it looks promising. The Toyota Tacoma has long been the go-to choice for off-road enthusiasts, with its wide array of off-road features and high-level durability and reliability. This is despite the fact that the Tacoma is somewhat outdated.

However, Toyota will give Tacoma a full redesign, including the introduction of the first-ever all-electric Tacoma. Toyota previewed what a Tacoma EV could look like when it unveiled a concept electric truck last December. 

As detailed by Car and Driver, the concept Toyota electric truck borrows styling cues from the redesigned 2022 Toyota Tundra. The exception is the blocked-off grille that is typical for electric vehicles. The concept electric truck is slightly larger than the 2022 Tacoma but with a similar short bed and a four-door crew-cab configuration. Also, with its beefy off-road tires, it looks like a TRD Pro model, which is the hardcore off-road version of the Tundra and Tacoma.

When you combine the off-road capabilities of the Tacoma with the eco-friendly credentials and technical expertise of Toyota, the world’s biggest automaker, you have a recipe for success. All of this gives credence to the Tacoma EV becoming the best electric pickup truck.

When will Toyota release a Tacoma electric truck?

As mentioned earlier, Toyota is giving the Tacoma a full redesign. The automaker will likely release a gas-powered version of the redesigned Tacoma for the 2024 model year, with the release date sometime in the second half of 2023. A Toyota Tacoma EV will likely follow, with a release date possibly in 2024. 

Will the Toyota Tacoma EV be the best electric pickup truck? The competition from other electric trucks like the Rivian R1T and Ford F-150 Lightning will be fierce. However, the future looks very bright for an all-electric version of the Tacoma.

This article was updated on 7/22/2022.