Toyota’s New Electric Truck: Everything You Need to Know

Toyota has been savaged by activists and environmentalists, among othersfor its slow transition away from gasoline to electric vehicles. But that paradigm is about to change in a big way. The last couple years have seen Toyota unveil an onslaught of new electric vehicle concepts and announce bold new battery tech initiatives. And one development we’re eagerly waiting for from Toyota is an electric version of the Tacoma. Toyota has confirmed an electric truck is in development, and the brand even previewed it with a “Pickup EV” concept.

Here’s everything we know so far about Toyota’s first electric truck.

Toyota has confirmed it will build an electric pickup truck

Toyota

Toyota has admitted an electric pickup is in development. The brand announced plans to offer a pickup truck with a BEV powertrain when it debuted the concept that became the bZ4X SUV in 2021. Toyota unveiled the Pickup EV concept later that year.

Will the first electric Toyota truck be a Tacoma EV?

Tyler Duffy

That seems like the most probable route for Toyota to get to an electric truck in the near term. When Toyota showed the Pickup EV concept, our first thought was that it looked a lot like an electric, next-gen Tacoma. After seeing the all-new 2024 Tacoma, we can confirm the Pickup EV definitely looks like an EV version of the Tacoma.

The Australian outlet Drive found Japanese reports suggesting that the Compact Cruiser EV is delayed because Toyota is prioritizing getting the electric powertrain ready for the Tacoma in North America.

The market certainly seems to be there for an electric Toyota Tacoma

GFC

Should Toyota choose the Tacoma EV route for its first electric pickup truck, it seems plenty of buyers will be on board. A recent survey of 3,600 car shoppers by Autolist, released in late November 2023, reveals that an electric Toyota Tacoma is the most popular EV pickup truck … even though it doesn’t exist. The (hypothetical) battery-powered Tacoma beat out the second-place Ford F-150 Lightning, third-place Chevy Silverado EV and fourth-place Tesla Cybertruck.

Will the Toyota Pickup EV become a full-size truck?

Ford

According to Motrolix, Toyota is benchmarking three electric pickup trucks: the Ford F-150 Lightning, GMC Hummer EV SUT and Tesla Cybertruck. That could suggest Toyota is looking at building more of a full-size EV truck. A larger truck would make packaging a lot easier, particularly if Toyota needs to lean on having a larger battery pack to deliver the required range.

Or will Toyota build its first pickup on a dedicated EV platform?

Toyota

Toyota unveiled the EPU concept (seen here and at top) for the 2023 Japan Mobility Show. It’s a “next-generation mid-size pickup truck” concept. It runs on a unibody, dedicated electric vehicle platform. Dimensionally, it has a longer wheelbase than the 2023 Tacoma but is shorter lengthwise and heightwise.

The EPU does have sort-of-off-road tires, and Toyota says it would have a versatile bed and be used in outdoor applications. This seems like more of a Ford Maverick competitor that could exist alongside an electric Tacoma (if it’s coming to America at all). But it could also be Toyota’s first electric truck if the brand opts not to build a Tacoma EV on the current platform.

Toyota’s new electric truck should be off-road-capable

Toyota

Electric pickups have shown themselves to be well-suited for off-roading. The battery weight gives them a low center of gravity, they offer a ton of instant torque for clearing obstacles, and you don’t have a combustion engine burbling while you’re trying to enjoy the great outdoors.

We would bet Toyota’s color choice for the Pickup EV concept was not coincidental. White screams “TRD Pro” to Toyota truck enthusiasts. The truck has knobby off-road tires. And it does not feature the air dam present on more road-going 2024 Tacomas.

When will Toyota debut the production model of its new electric truck?

We don’t know yet. But there are reasons to be optimistic a Toyota electric truck will arrive soon. Toyota has announced plans to launch at least 15 EVs by 2025. We have seen Toyota moving forward on other vehicles previewed in that initial slate of EV concepts. And a pickup would no doubt be a high priority on Toyota’s list.

Toyota said it planned to bring electrification to its pickup lineup “in the near future” back in 2021, including both hybrid and BEV powertrains. We’ve already seen the hybrids with the Tundra and Tacoma. An EV truck would be the natural next step.

One factor that could delay the launch could be Toyota’s battery technology. Current Toyota EVs have been hamstrung on range compared to competitors. And Toyota may need its next-gen batteries to adequately power a pickup for towing and hauling.

Toyota

Toyota Electric Pickup

Toyota has confirmed it is working on an all-electric pickup truck for America. It may end up being an EV version of the 2024 Tacoma.

Specs

Arrival Date	2025 (estimated)
Powertrain	EV

Pros

• Toyota quality, durability and reliability without the carbon footprint

Cons

• Could get seriously expensive given gas Toyota truck pricing

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