The Toyota Hilux BEV may not replace your diesel pick-up immediately, but it gives some customers a viable alternative.

An electric pick-up truck from Toyota, as I live and breathe. It’s hard to believe. And yet I found myself in one just a few weeks ago. Ten years ago, I remember covering the first spy shots of the 8th-generation Hilux. I remember being a little disappointed at how little things had changed. It felt more like an extensive facelift rather than a generational leap.

Now we have the 9th generation Hilux and not only is it a massive evolution, it also comes with a completely different propulsion system. Toyota is the ONLY Japanese car company with an electric pick-up truck on offer in Malaysia, so credit where credit is due. There’s a lot to unpack with the Hilux Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) but not all of it is positive. That’s not entirely the fault of the local distributors; it’s just the nature of the taxation structure and demands of commercial vehicles. Let’s start with some objective specifications.

This is a ladder frame pick-up truck built on upgraded ‘IMV’ bones. The truck arrives fully imported from Thailand, unlike the current 8th generation diesel-powered Hilux, which is assembled locally. The 8th generation Hilux in diesel form continues to be offered in Malaysia.

The Hilux BEV comes in just one variant with all-wheel drive. The motor on the front axle makes 112PS and 205Nm of torque, while the one at the rear is more beefy with 176PS and 268Nm of torque on tap. Combined, Toyota’s claimed system output is 196PS, which is technically lower than what the 2.8L turbo diesel Hilux can offer, but diesel and electric have their own pros and cons in the pick-up truck space.

The Hilux BEV gets its energy from a 59.2 kWh Nickel Manganese Cobalt lithium-ion battery. It’s unclear who supplies this battery, but some Japanese online sources point to Panasonic and other Toyota-related subsidiaries and entities as part of the supply chain. The charging port is on the passenger-side front fender.

DC Fast charging is a very respectable 125kW (surpassing even the e.MAS 7’s latest and greatest Premium Plus). AC charging is an adequate 10kW. One final note on specifications: this electric version of the Hilux has a unique rear suspension setup to help with the overall packaging. Now, let’s dive into the review.

The Market For Electric Pick-Ups

If you haven’t been paying attention to the car market in general, the industry is undergoing a seismic shift towards electrification. EVs have jolted the premium passenger car market and have also sent shockwaves down to the sub-RM200,000 mass market segment.

Niche segments, like the pick-up truck market, are starting to feel the tremors, but nothing has really changed things. Outside of Malaysia, cars like the Tesla Cybertruck and Ford F-150 Lightning made a lot of noise but barely dented the segment. In fact, both are considered sales failures. 

Pick-up truck buyers in general are looking for the same few things: low upfront costs, predictable resale value, high payload capacity, maximum uptime, and the reassurance of not being stranded. Electric pick-up trucks tend to fail to deliver on these aspects. The Cybertruck and F-150 Lightning also double as vanity projects for their respective brands, which adds a layer of complication with regard to image and value.

Here in Malaysia, we have a handful of all-electric options, but only the relatively unknown JAC T9 EV is ‘available for public consumption’. The other Chinese options are essentially brought in in small batches when big clients, such as government-linked companies or multinational courier companies with ESG targets, are secured. The JAC T9 thoroughly impressed us last year when we took it for a spin, but the lack of brand value, dealer support, and mixed build quality probably didn’t do it any favours either.

One thing that affects all pick-up trucks on sale in Malaysia is the pricing as a result of the tax structure. All pick-up trucks are considered commercial vehicles, so they’re usually hit with much lower taxes than passenger cars. So, while most EVs looked like exceptional value next to their ICE rivals, the same was not the case for pick-up trucks. A simple illustration: just look at the JAC T9 EV and 2.0L diesel. The diesel unit is filled to the brim in terms of equipment and is priced around RM120K while the EV version is lacking some equipment and features yet still comes in at close to RM200K. 

While the Hilux BEV is also much more expensive than its diesel alternative at RM226K, it isn’t poorly equipped when compared head-to-head even with the top-of-the-range Hilux GR Sport Diesel alternative. There’s a good reason for that. As we mentioned before, the diesel models are on the 8th-generation Hilux platform, while the electric one is on the new 9th-generation platform. Malaysia is one of the few markets with this product planning peculiarity.

So, the Hilux BEV feels and looks more modern than your typical Hilux, but only because UMW Toyota won’t bring the rest of the model line-up in right now. If the new generation diesel models were available (like they are in just about every other market), the Hilux BEV would probably look a hair worse than its emission-spewing GR Sport counterpart. That’s about it in terms of big-picture stuff. I’m sure there are tangents we can go down, but we need to focus on what’s relevant to the review so far.

Behind The Wheel Of An Electric Hilux

The Toyota Hilux BEV is strange behind the wheel. In many ways, this is the best Hilux out there. It’s obviously absolutely silent and refined. No diesel clatter, not even a distant rumble, just a barely audible whine signals the spinning of the two motors. It’s eerie just how quiet and effortless it is to move this barge around.

From my understanding, the Hilux BEV was engineered to be just as capable off-road as its diesel counterpart. To that end, they’ve programmed a Multi Terrain Select (MTS) feature. This allows the vehicle to better respond to conditions on the ground. You can manually select rock, mogul (bumpy mounds), mud, sand, dirt, or just leave it on auto.

The Hilux BEV has 500mm of wheel articulation and a decent water wading depth of 700mm. While the approach and departure angles are the same as on the diesel model, the Hilux BEV’s break-over angle and ground clearance are reduced due to the position of the battery pack. We did not get a chance to put the Hilux BEV through any off-road courses, but it fared okay over a few dirt paths.

Serious off-roaders that have pushed this vehicle hard haven’t reported any issues. Customers will probably spend more time on the road and will probably reach for the Drive Mode Selector instead of the MTS button. The Drive Mode Selector puts the vehicle in Sport, Normal, or Eco mode, which influences the throttle response, primarily. 

On smooth tarmac, the Hilux BEV handles really well for a pick-up truck. The low-mounted battery pack gives this pick-up a uniquely confident feel through the corners. Add to that a Hilux-first electronic power steering system and you have yourself something that feels more SUV like in the corners than any Japanese pick-up truck ever sold in Malaysia. Unfortunately, while the handling is surprisingly good, the ride is unsurprisingly bad.

Yes, the regular Hilux is probably even more uncomfortable when unladen, but de Dion tube rear setup on this electric model doesn’t quite deliver on tangible gains in comfort as leaf springs are still deployed here. The Hilux BEV rattles your bones over rumble strips and over potholes it will rearrange your spine. It’s probably just there for packaging reasons pertaining to the motor and in fact, you’re losing the overall payload capability of the Hilux on the electric model.

It only hauls 750kg of cargo in a segment where most pick-ups can do 1,000kg. It’s likely the weight of the battery is already eating into the maximum capabilities of the chassis. However there is one other reason why the Hilux BEV may not be very good at hauling cargo because its range is terrible.

The Hilux BEV has a WLTP range of just 257km, which while not unusable, is deeply limiting for a pick-up truck. Whether it’s off-roading or moving a bunch of heavy cargo, a pure electric vehicle has severe limitations. The range drops off a cliff when the weight of an EV goes up. You also don’t really have an easy way to extend your range when off grid, so this is one Hilux that’s probably best kept in urban spaces. 

Looks The Part

If there’s one thing Toyota did nail, it’s the look. This new Hilux has an angular and rugged design that’s defined by geometric patterns. As with most pick-up truck designs, most of the work has gone into the face of the car. If you don’t pay special attention to the car, this is perfectly fine. Most of the sheet metal has been revised to carry this new theme. It’s really just the curvaceous door handles that feel like they’re stuck in the older generation’s look. 

I especially like the retro-inspired Toyota logotype in all caps. It’s a little diminutive on the front panel, but the debossed tailgate is especially bold. It’s not the first pick-up truck to bring this design cue, you’ll also find it on the Nissan Navara Pro-4X and Ford Ranger.

I like that the Hilux wordmark is shrunken down in the middle of the tailgate handle housing. It’s also nice that they’ve added platforms to step to the rear bumper and behind the rear wheels.

If you’re looking for design elements that point to the vehicle’s ‘electric’ nature, the rims and the closed off grille are probably the only two bits that look especially futuristic, but Toyota have done a really good job making sure they don’t come across as tacky or out of place.

Inside, the new 9th generation design language continues to shine. It’s a breakaway from the previous model’s vaguely futuristic look that was neither here nor there. Instead, we now have a confident and blocky look. On the plus side, the glossy black panels are all but gone now. Instead we have faux leather hard plastics and painted plastics too, and in my eyes this is a big upgrade. The Hilux finally looks the part of a rugged pick-up truck and all it took was a few simple changes.

Value Proposition

To be perfectly honest, I think electric vehicles are going to dominate the passenger car market in the next 15-20 years. However, I’m not sure if this will extend to pick-up trucks. Yes, they have the economical running costs and low-end torque of diesel engines. Unfortunately, the limited range, lower maximum payload and unfavourable tax structure really limits their viability.

I suppose there are Multi National Companies that would benefit from switching to electric. To certain MNCs looking for carbon credits, the Hilux BEV makes a lot of sense: reputable brand, recognizable nameplate, and good fleet pricing make it easy for accountants to justify.

If you’re a small business worried about rising diesel prices and falling subsidy quotas on the horizon, the Hilux BEV may also make sense. As long as you know your daily run and payload specifications fall within the limits of the Hilux BEV, you’re golden. On the open market though, this thing isn’t going to be replacing the standard diesel powered workhorse any time soon.

That being said, I’m happy to be proven wrong. In fact, if the Hilux BEV ends up selling so well that it gets locally-assembled, I will be the first one to celebrate. It’s about time the commercial sector cut down on cancer-causing diesel fumes. Good on Toyota for offering a solution.

Electric Motor: 193 hp (144 kW) dual electric motors
Torque: 473 Nm
AC Charging: 10 kW
DC Charging: Up to 125 kW
Acceleration: 0-100 km/h in 10.8 seconds
Battery: 59.2 kWh Lithium-ion Battery
Driving Range: 257 km (WLTP)
Price: RM226,300