Toyota Pickup EV Concept Likely Previews Electric Tacoma

The truck concept looks very much like a Tacoma and appears to have the same footprint.

By: Dan Mihalascu

Dec 14, 2021 at 11:44am ET

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Of the 15 future electric vehicles Toyota and Lexus have previewed earlier today, the one dubbed “Pickup EV” looks as production-ready as it gets.

It also appears to be based on the Tacoma midsize truck, judging by its design and its size compared to the Compact Cruiser EV off-road SUV parked next to it.

Bringing an all-electric pickup truck to market is something Toyota needs to do ASAP given the buzz surrounding the already available Rivian R1T and other upcoming launches including the GMC Hummer EV, Ford F-150 Lightning, Tesla Cybertruck, and the Chevrolet Silverado EV/GMC Sierra EV twins.

Now, the Pickup EV name Toyota slapped on its concept is just a working name so we can expect the production model to sport a different nameplate, possibly Tacoma EV.

Speaking of the Tacoma, the concept truck Toyota unveiled today has similar headlights (albeit shorter), a smaller closed-off grille, and a similar front bumper to the 2022 Tacoma TRD Pro. We don’t get to see the rear end, but the profile appears identical.

As with all the concepts unveiled today, the interior design of the Toyota Pickup EV remains a secret for now. We suspect that’s because the electric version will share the cabin with the redesigned 2023 Tacoma set to arrive next year.

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Toyota’s Pickup EV concept confirms previous reports about the Japanese carmaker preparing to launch an electric pickup in the near future.

At the Shanghai Auto Show in April, Toyota confirmed it would bring hybrid and battery electric powertrains to its pickup truck lineup. The automaker did not say which specific nameplates will have an electric variant, but there really are only three “suspects.” Globally, that would be the Hilux, while in North America, the only possibilities are the Tacoma and Tundra.

In light of the Pickup EV concept unveiling, the Tacoma looks set to become the brand’s first pickup to offer a pure electric powertrain. If that turns out to be the case, the Tacoma will be one of the first electric midsize pickups in the US, assuming Toyota won't delay its launch for too long.