Toyota Takes on Ford and Hyundai: Compact Electric Pickup Truck in the Works

Japanese Pickup Truck Leader Toyota
Not Currently Offering a Compact Pickup Truck
Testing Competing Models for Development

Toyota, Japan’s representative automobile brand, pays more attention to the American market than any other Japanese automobile brand. Toyota has been actively developing, producing, and selling pickup trucks in the U.S. market, where pickup truck sales are high. The Tundra is the most representative pickup truck model, a full-size pickup truck famous for its durability.

The other models include Hilux and Tacoma, which are all classified as mid-size. In addition, there was recent news that a compact pickup truck was being developed. Let’s look at the information below.

Testing the Maverick and Santa Cruz for Compact Pickup Truck Development

Currently, Toyota does not have a compact pickup truck lineup. On the other hand, Ford released the Maverick, and Hyundai, which had not developed a pickup truck for a long time, also launched the Santa Cruz, gradually taking over a niche in the compact pickup truck market in the U.S.

Accordingly, it was recently reported that Toyota purchased a Ford Maverick and Hyundai Santa Cruz and conducted a driving test to develop a compact pickup truck. At the 2023 Japan Mobility Show, they introduced the EPU concept car, showing the direction of the compact pickup truck Toyota will teach in the future.

Toyota’s Compact Pickup Truck
Likely to be a Pure Electric Vehicle

The EPU concept car unveiled by Toyota at the Japan Mobility Show was a pure electric pickup truck. Considering that the concept car shows the brand’s vision and future direction, it looks pretty likely that the small pickup truck they plan to develop will be a pure electric vehicle, not an internal combustion engine vehicle.

The Maverick and Santa Cruz that Toyota tested for new model development are equipped with 2.0L gasoline turbo, 2.5L hybrid, 2.5L gasoline naturally aspirated, and 2.5L gasoline turbo powertrains, respectively. Toyota appears to be trying to differentiate itself from these companies and dominate the compact electric pickup truck market.

Toyota’s new pickup truck
Launch expected in 2027

It is difficult to discuss the launch date, as only the concept car has been released, and no test cars have been captured. There is no known exact launch date, but CarBuzz, a foreign media specializing in automobiles, expects it to be released in 2027. It will be launched four years after the concept car was revealed, which is quite late if it is scheduled to be released in 2027.

There are still three years left, and Ford and Hyundai can dominate the market before Toyota by launching electric versions of the Maverick or Santa Cruz that are currently on sale without the need to develop an entirely new model. In addition, Volkswagen is also known to be developing a compact pickup truck.