Toyota is set to test a fleet of new electric pickup trucks that will be used as taxis in Pattaya, Thailand next year. However, the Japanese automaker did not state the exact model name of the electric pickup truck that will be up for testing in Pattaya.
In a report by Reuters, Toyota Daihatsu Engineering & Manufacturing executive vice president Pras Ganesh said that the car brand will be fielding a small fleet of battery electric pickup trucks in Pattaya, Thailand early next year. Ganesh added that the electric pickups would be tested for use as 'songthaews', a type of passenger vehicle in countries such as Thailand.
To put things in perspective, songthaew’s seating configuration is somewhat similar to the Philippine jeepneys. It comes with two long bench seats wherein passengers are facing each other. In the case of the songthaew, it uses a pickup truck as the base vehicle, and the truck’s bed is where the bench seats are placed.
Ganesh also shared that Toyota’s engineers are working on “adapting its electric pickups” to road conditions in Thailand. Furthermore, the Japanese automaker is said to be building an electric vehicle (EV) research & development facility in the Land of Smiles.
The Toyota executive did not specify as to what electric pickup model will be fielded and tested in Pattaya. But, Toyota did confirm last month that its Thailand team will develop a “demonstration fleet” of all-electric Hilux share taxis.
Toyota Thailand built the all-electric Hilux pickup truck as a proving ground to electrify the car brand’s commercial vehicles. The Japanese automaker also said that Toyota Thailand will build a demo fleet of Hilux-based electric share taxis for its domestic market.
A testament to that is the render images that show the electric Hilux or the Hilux Revo BEV concept with a songthaew configuration. The images that surfaced last month can also confirm the statement that Ganesh said since the rear-end of the image has a text that reads “Welcome to Pattaya.”
Interestingly, Toyota is making similar efforts in consideration of the Philippine market. Toyota previewed two IMV 0 concepts during its 35th-anniversary celebration in the Philippines. One of the vehicles shown at the said event is the next-generation Tamaraw concept guise as a modern jeepney.
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