Toyota Believes PHEV is Not Ready for Pickups, Worried About Sacrificing Carrying Capacity?

New Toyota Hilux. (Photo: Toyota)  

JAKARTA - Toyota is not interested in presenting a PHEV pickup truck even though the Chinese brand raids continue to flood the market. Toyota argues that plug-in powertrain technology is not ready to face heavy loads in the pickup segment, so they are still using a more traditional solution for now.

Citing Carscoops, Wednesday, July 8, Toyota Hilux entered a new generation last year with diesel, mild-hybrid, and pure electric variants, and the FCEV (Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle) variant will join its product lineup in 2028.

This differentiates it from its competitor, the Ford Ranger, which already has a PHEV (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle) powertrain on the market outside North America, in addition to its non-electric diesel and gasoline options.

Meanwhile, other plug-in hybrid medium-sized pickup trucks include the BYD Shark 6, GWM Cannon Alpha, Nissan Frontier Pro, as well as the Chery Stockman which will soon be available from China.

As is known, Toyota has deep expertise in the field of hybrids and PHEVs, but they are not interested in applying the technology to their best-selling trucks, at least in the current condition.

"We are certainly aware that there is fierce competition in the area, and we are looking into it, but until the technology is ready, we will not release anything in a hurry," Toyota Australia's senior manager of product planning and pricing, Ray Munday, told CarExpert.

"Currently, the main challenge with PHEVs or any electrification is the addition of mass, which reduces the load and also the ability to pull loads," he added.

In other words, Toyota is concerned that the Hilux PHEV cannot match the 3,500 kg towing capacity, and the 1 ton load of its diesel version, at least in real-world use. It's worth noting that the Hilux BEV with a dual motor only has a towing capacity of 2,000 kg.

As a result, Toyota's future PHEV plans will remain focused on its passenger cars and SUVs, at least until the technology is mature enough.