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The first factory-built electric Toyota HiLux for Australia is due by mid-year costing $17,000 more than a diesel equivalent, with a claimed NEDC driving range of 245km to 315km.
Electric Cars
Toyota's best-selling model in Australia will gain electric power for the first time by the middle of this year.
It costs $17,000 more than the diesel on which it is based – from $74,990 to $82,990 plus on-road costs – and claims 245km to 315km of range in NEDC lab tests, or 240km in tougher WLTP testing overseas, before a load is added or a trailer is connected.
The 2026 HiLux BEV will be offered in SR and SR5 dual-cab variants, with the choice between cab-chassis and pick-up body styles for the SR.
Toyota Australia says the dual-motor all-wheel-drive ute is aimed at mining, construction and government fleets, and admits demand from family and small-business buyers will be low.
However, it will be available for all customers to purchase at a Toyota dealership, with a complimentary 7kW home wallbox for private buyers financing with a novated lease.
Toyota Australia's sales, marketing and franchise operations boss John Pappas said the brand forecasts 500 HiLux BEV sales in 2026, representing 1 per cent of the model's average annual total of around 50,000.
The electric HiLux replaces the 150kW/420-500Nm 2.8-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine with two electric motors, 129kW/269Nm rear and 82kW/206Nm front for a combined 144kW and 468Nm.
It has a single-speed reduction gear automatic – with a shift-by-wire toggle gear selector – and a full-time all-wheel-drive system, replacing six-speed manual and auto transmissions and part-time four-wheel drive.
The electric variant retains the HiLux's Multi-Terrain Select six-mode traction control system, but deletes the low-range transfer case and locking differentials.
The HiLux BEV will be among the lowest-range electric vehicles currently on sale locally, with Toyota Australia listing an unladen 315km driving range on the less-stringent NEDC cycle for the pick-up, and 245km for the cab-chassis.
European specifications indicate an even lower 240km WLTP range for the pick-up, which is more reflective of real-world conditions. A WLTP figure for the cab-chassis is not available, but it could be sub-200km.
It is lower than the defunct, rear-wheel-drive LDV eT60, which had a 330km WLTP rating from its 88.6kWh battery, while the Isuzu D-Max EV claims 263km WLTP in Europe from its 66.9kWh battery.
Under its skin, Toyota has fitted a 59.2kWh lithium-ion battery, with support for 150kW direct-current (DC) fast charging and 10kW three-phase alternating-current (AC) home charging.
At maximum charging speeds, a 10 to 80 per cent top-up at a fast charger is said to take "as little as 30 minutes" while a 10 to 100 per cent charge on an AC wallbox will take approximately 6.5 hours.
To accommodate its electric powertrain, the HiLux BEV gains frame reinforcements, "beefed-up" MacPherson front struts, and new De Dion rear leaf-spring suspension that accommodates the rear electric motor while retaining a live axle.
Braked towing capacity is limited to 2000kg for the HiLux BEV, down from the diesel's 3500kg. Payload has not been detailed for Australia, but it is expected to be lower than the diesel's circa-1000kg.
Ventilated rear disc brakes are standard on the HiLux BEV SR – unlike the diesel, which limits them to the SR5 and above – and it will offer regenerative braking to recuperate energy.
Design changes include aerodynamic-focused 17-inch alloy wheels, a closed-off upper front grille and BEV badging, with exterior paint finishes be limited to three: Glacier White, Frosted White and Ash Slate.
Standard features in the BEV SR mostly mirror the diesel SR, with some differences, such as a standard 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, four speakers instead of eight, no wireless smartphone charger or fog lamps, and a plastic steering wheel instead of synthetic leather-look.
Other differences include body-coloured side mirror caps and door handles instead of black, dual-zone climate control instead of manual air-conditioning, and a standard electric handbrake.
All HiLux BEV grades also include a 1500-watt inverter with an Australian plug in the centre console box to power small appliances.
The BEV SR5 adds auto-levelling LED headlights, auto-folding heated side mirrors, LED fog lamps and tail-lights, rear privacy glass, and a painted bonnet moulding and radiator lower grille.
It also gains synthetic leather-look upholstery, heated front seats, a power-adjustable driver's seat with lumbar support, a heated steering wheel, carpet flooring, an auto-dimming rear-view mirror, a lidded instrument panel, silver door handles, eight speakers, and a wireless smartphone charger.
The 2026 Toyota HiLux BEV will arrive in Australian showrooms between April and June.
2026 Toyota HiLux BEV price in Australia
Note: All prices above exclude on-road costs.
2026 Toyota HiLux BEV SR cab-chassis standard features:
2026 Toyota HiLux BEV SR pick-up adds (over BEV SR cab-chassis):
2026 Toyota HiLux BEV SR5 pick-up adds (over BEV SR pick-up):
2026 Toyota HiLux BEV available colours:
Electric Cars Guide
Jordan is a motoring journalist based in Melbourne with a lifelong passion for cars. He has been surrounded by classic Fords and Holdens, brand-new cars, and everything in between from birth, with his parents’ owning an automotive workshop in regional Victoria. Jordan started writing about cars in 2021, and joined the Drive team in 2024.
