Toyota plans to mass-produce a battery-electric Hilux pickup truck by the end of 2025, the president of its Thailand unit said on Tuesday.
The announcement comes just a few days after rival Japanese automaker Isuzu Motors said it would manufacture its battery-electric D-Max pickup in Thailand by 2025.
Thailand is a regional automaking hub, with pickup trucks among the main vehicles produced for domestic sale and export.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the Bangkok International Motor Show, Toyota Thailand president Noriaki Yamashita said the electric version of the Hilux could be ready by the end of next year. He did not specify where the vehicle would be produced.
In Thailand, Toyota expects to sell 250,000 vehicles this year, Mr Yamashita said.
Adoption of electric vehicles (EV) has been gaining momentum in Thailand, led by Chinese brands like BYD, state-owned Changan Automobile and Great Wall Motors, which together have poured $1.4 billion into new facilities in the country.
Thailand has been a regional auto assembly and export hub and has been dominated by Japanese brands like Toyota, Nissan and Honda.
Toyota, the Thai market leader accounting for a third of sales, will deliver a dozen Hilux Revo-e battery electric pickups to Pattaya for trials as public transport next month, Mr Yamashita said.