Toyota Hilux hybrid skipped in favour of battery-electric work truck, beating Isuzu D-Max and Mitsubishi Triton to Australia

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Toyota Australia has announced full specifications and details for one of its most important launches — the Hilux ute. 

The 2026 Toyota Hilux will arrive in Australia next month with a familiar, mildly electrified diesel powerplant, but there is no hybrid on the horizon. 

Instead, Toyota Australia vice president of sales and marketing Sean Hanley announced the battery electric version is in the product plan for next year. 

“Our multipathway approach has always been about providing vehicles with the right powertrain for customer use and we have seen a growing demand for BEVs in the ute space, particularly among fleet buyers, “ he said.

“These are vehicles that will be used largely in short-distance operations that need the payload and passenger capacity and are able to be recharged easily and economically.”

“The new double cab 4×4 will be available for anyone who pushes to purchase one but we are primarily targeting fleets and urban trade users that will benefit most from the benefits that a BEV offers.”

It’s a different tactic to some rivals, including the Ford Ranger, BYD Shark 6 and GWM Cannon Alpha, which have all chosen plug-in hybrid power to cut emissions. 

Called simply Hilux BEV, the new electric Hilux isn’t aimed at the growing private buyer and ABN holder ute market, instead it’s about big mining fleets looking to meet ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) targets. 

It will be capable, we’re promised, with twin electric motors providing four-wheel drive. Payload will need to be around 1000kg, and braked towing has to hit the 3500kg expectation.

Specifics remain a mystery. The 4×2 Revo concept was fitted with a circa-70kWh battery pack that offered about 250km of driving range. The new Hilux BEV’s key rival in Europe, the Isuzu D-Max EV, hits similar numbers with a 66.9kWh battery for 283km WLTP driving range with 50kW DC fast-charging. 

In Australia, a battery-electric Hilux isn’t exactly new, either. ROEV is a company that specialises in battery versions of the current Hilux and Ranger. It offers a Hilux package with a 96kWh pack for a suggested 360km driving range. 

Toyota says it will offer the Hilux BEV in two trims, the mining/fleet special base which is a mix of Workmate and SR trim levels, while a flagship loaded up SR5-level ute will be aimed at private, urban ute buyers. 

Toyota only sells one electric vehicle in Australia currently, the bZ4X midsize SUV. A larger Touring version is confirmed for 2026, though sales expectations aren’t huge for these electric SUVs.