The world’s toughest truck is now a 160-mile EV, and I’ve driven it

The Toyota Hilux has a well-deserved reputation as an automotive cockroach. Over nearly 60 years it’s been a reliable work truck, whether you’re using it on a building site in Daventry or driving across somewhere the foreign office would strongly advise against visiting – but its most famous moment came during an episode of Top Gear, where Jeremy Clarkson tried and failed to kill a 1988 model.

Well, the unkillable machine’s just been rebooted for a ninth generation, and this time it’s getting something it’s never had before – a fully electric powertrain. Though diesel will still be available (as will petrol, in markets outside the UK), this new Hilux BEV (battery electric vehicle) will be the one that raises eyebrows with fleet buyers or those working in low-emission zones.

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But is it any good?

Electrifying a pickup truck isn’t the simplest thing in the world. You start with a big, heavy vehicle thanks to the separate chassis – then you have to add a big, heavy battery pack. It’s not that the truck can’t cope with the extra mass, but vehicles in the UK have a 3.5-tonne limit before they require a beefier driving licence from their operator.

Pickups in the UK also require at least a tonne of payload for business users to be able to reclaim VAT, so it’s a difficult balancing act. The only EV pickup that’s so far managed this is the Isuzu D-Max EV – most alternatives have a limited payload available.

Toyota hasn’t chased maximum anything with the Hilux BEV. It has a payload of 715kg, a useful towing capacity of 2,000kg and a 59.2kWh battery which is good for 160 miles of range.

While those figures aren’t enough for VAT reclaim, Toyota’s neatly priced the Hilux BEV at around the same price as the VAT-exclusive D-Max EV.

What’s it like to drive?

While it may not have as much carrying capacity as some, Toyota can’t be accused of going halves on the Hilux BEV’s powertrain. While some EV pickups have been single-motor only, the Hilux gets a motor on each axle for a combined 196hp and a generous amount of torque.

Pulling off is a bit eerie – you’re clearly in a truck, but there’s just the soft whirr of the e-motor rather than a rattly diesel engine up front. It’s quick off the mark thanks to the instant torque from both motors, and new electric power steering is much lighter than the old Hilux at low speeds.

The benchmark 0-62mph dash takes less than 10 seconds and the top speed is 87mph, which is plenty fast enough.

Head off-road and the electric Hilux really impresses. It’s much simpler than the diesel, with no diff locks or low-range gearbox to worry about – with permanent four-wheel drive, you just point the nose where you want to go, select the right terrain mode, and enjoy a greater degree of control thanks to the linear and precise response of the electric motors.

It’s super-easy to modulate over really rough surfaces as a result, and you get a wide set of modes to choose from – Rock, Mud, Sand, Dirt or ‘Mogul’ (for loose rocky surfaces). For most of the terrain you’re likely to encounter in the UK, you can just leave it in ‘Auto’.

Thanks to the position of the battery (between the chassis rails) you give up a little bit of ground clearance to the diesel model and therefore a little bit of breakover angle. Approach and departure angles and wading depth are exactly the same.

On the road, it’s still smooth and quiet, but those hoping it’ll ride with as much refinement are in for a shock. The electric Hilux is, if anything, slightly bouncier than the diesel, and as a result it’s not particularly comfortable over bumps when you’re not fully laden.

How far can it actually go?

The claimed range from the Hilux BEV’s 59.2kWh battery is just 160 miles – matching the Isuzu D-Max EV’s figure. During my time with the truck I averaged 2.1 miles per kWh, equating to a range of about 120 miles – but this involved a lot of off-roading and some high-speed motorway work.

The truth is that these trucks won’t be any good for leisure buyers or for anybody covering distance. They’re aimed at a very real subset of people – those who need the capability of a truck, but rarely travel very far. Farm work is a great use case, as these trucks may rarely go further afield than, well, a field – but all the while will need to be towing a heavy trailer, or transporting gear.

Forestry, estate management, utilities maintenance, local authority work, airport/seaport ops, security patrols, local emergency support, outdoor tourism businesses – anything where mileage is low and predictable but terrain is challenging, there’s a possible use case for a truck like the Hilux.

These are the sort of fleets that suffer most from issues with diesels (which have emissions control systems that don’t behave very well without regular motorway runs), and also are under the most pressure to de-carbonise. In countries like Norway, all publicly procured vehicles have to be EVs, and though that’s a long way off for the UK, it’s definitely a possibility.

Seen through this lens, the new Hilux BEV is really rather good – it’s great off-road, quite nice to drive, has a hardwearing interior and the reassurance of Toyota’s ten-year ‘Relax’ warranty. It’s a shame it doesn’t have as much capability as the D-Max EV, but it’s a nicer experience overall.

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