Toyota tests new EV pickup truck ahead of mass production in Thailand

Isuzu Motors

16/05/2024 09:47

By Devjyot Ghoshal
       BANGKOK, May 16 (Reuters) - Toyota Motor  7203.T  is
testing the new battery-electric Hilux pickup truck to assess
its performance in different conditions as the car maker
prepares to manufacture the vehicle in Thailand by the end of
2025, an executive said on Thursday.
    Pickup trucks make up more than half of total vehicle sales
in Thailand, a critical market for Toyota that has been flooded
by a wave of Chinese electric vehicle makers and where the
Japanese auto giant has a large manufacturing base.
    "Our intention is to be producing the Hilux BEV over here,"
Pras Ganesh, executive vice president of Toyota Motor Asia told
Reuters on the sidelines of the Future Mobility Asia summit,
referring to the battery-electric vehicle.
    Ganesh declined to provide details on pricing or production
volume for the Hilux BEV, which will be Toyota's first EV pickup
truck offering.
    Rival Japanese automaker Isuzu Motors  7202.T  also plans to
manufacture its electric D-MAX pickup truck in Thailand, the
Thai government said in March.
    The vehicle will be primarily aimed at the Thai domestic
market, but Ganesh said the automaker will also consider
exporting the Hilux BEV.
    Toyota is testing the Hilux BEV for multiple use cases in
varying road and temperature conditions.
    "The more range I have to put on it, the more battery I have
to put on it, which means the weight of the vehicle also becomes
significantly heavier, which means the loading can be much
less," Ganesh said. "So 'Is it going to meet the customer's
usage needs?' is always our biggest issue. We are always trying
to understand what they do."
    Trailing EV industry leaders Tesla  TSLA.O  and China's BYD
 002594.SZ , Toyota has profited from rising demand for hybrid
vehicles as more consumers are embracing petrol-electric
hybrids, the company's traditional strength.
    Ganesh said Toyota expects hybrid sales to grow in Thailand
and other Southeast Asian countries, where it faces rising
competition in the segment from cost-competitive rivals
including Great Wall Motor  601633.SS .
    In 2023, the company sold a little over 30,000 hybrid cars
in Thailand, contributing about 11.5% of its overall vehicle
sales in the country.

 (Reporting by Devjyot Ghoshal. Editing by Gerry Doyle)
 ((Devjyot.Ghoshal@thomsonreuters.com;))