Can you make a Toyota Hilux last even longer? Yes, convert it into an EV pickup
Arvind · Dec 24, 2023 12:00 PM
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To make the already indestructible Toyota Hilux seemingly last even longer, and stay relevant in an EV future, Toyota’s trading arm Toyota Tsusho has introduced a novel prototype conversion package that swaps out the pickup's oil-burning engine for a new electrified powertrain.
Unveiled at the ongoing Idemitsu Super Endurance Southeast Asia Trophy 2023 in Buriram, Thailand, the Toyota Tsusho prototype takes a regular seventh-generation Hilux 4x2 variant and swaps out its internal combustion engine and transmission for a single electric motor driving the rear wheels (4x2).
The prototype features a 41.5 kWh Nickel Manganese Cobalt (NMC) battery supplied from China, though the longer-term plan will see the package use Thai-made SVOLT batteries.
Special care has been taken to maintain the overall vehicle’s weight and weight distribution with the installation of the battery – housed towards the centre – on the ladder-frame chassis.
Reflected image of the battery fitted to the underside of the chassis, complete with a protective casing
The battery is claimed to offer a total driving range of 245 km according to WLTC standards, although real-world usage - the way Thais generally use their Hilux with laden cargo - will peg the range closer to 200 km. The battery can be recharged at 7 kW (AC) or at 40 kW using a DC charger.
Elsewhere, the Hilux EV prototype adopts Electric Power Steering (EPS), however, the brakes are still a conventional hydraulic system to retain as much of the original components as possible and reduce overall cost.
Save the retrofitted gear shifter, the interior is identical to the 7th-generation Hilux, no fancy EPB here
The Hilux EV conversion package is mainly aimed at first- and last-mile delivery fleet customers according to Toyota Tsusho.
Plus, offering an economically viable way for a 20-year-old Toyota Hilux to gain a new lease of life is more than just a responsible way to keep old cars running for longer, it's recycling at its best. It also reduces the need for mining of more of the earth's precious natural resources.
For now, the Hilux EV conversion package remains a prototype, thus there is no confirmation of the conversion cost or market availability of the package yet.
Arvind can't remember a time when he didn't wheel around a HotWheels car. This love evolved into an interest in Tamiya and RC cars and finally the real deal 1:1 scale stuff. Passion finally lead to formal training in Mechanical Engineering. Instead of the bigger picture, he obsesses with the final drive ratio and spring rates of cars and spends the weekends wondering why a Perodua Myvi is so fast.
