Over the weekend, Toyota showed off an idea of a small pickup truck that runs on electricity alone. It will be about the same size overall as the Ford Maverick hybrid pickup.
This week, the Toyota EPU concept will be shown at the Tokyo car show. It is about 200 inches long, which is about the same length as the Maverick and about as short as U.S.-spec double-cab designs get these days (the Tacoma is about a foot longer in this form, with a 5-foot bed). There’s room for five people, plus a “versatile deck space” that probably adds a few inches to the tailgate for some things or opens up the cabin to the bed for longer items and goods.
From the truck’s general length and shape, it looks like the cargo bed is probably about five feet long, but the company doesn’t give a high-level view of its size or area. The EPU has a 131.9-inch wheelbase, which is 10 inches longer than the Maverick’s. Both the Maverick and this one are the same size, 75 inches wide and 67 inches tall.
Toyota claims that its electric power and low center of gravity make the car stable and pleasant. Other Toyota trucks have a body-on-frame layout, but the EPU has a unibody layout like the Ford Maverick. That probably means a skateboard platform, and there might be some extra room under the hood for storage.
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EPU Cabin Ready for Production While Tacoma’s Still in Development
Despite not being specified, the EPU was the only model with a production-ready cabin in Tokyo. Its dashboard has a more utilitarian, horizontal layout with two levels of storage trays and a less upright look than modern petrol trucks like the Tacoma.
The 2024 Toyota Tacoma lineup is led by the arrival of a hybrid model, though the i-Force Max system in the hybrid model puts towing and hauling over getting the best gas mileage. That could make it go well with a plan like the EPU if the EPU focused on efficiency.
In April 2021, Toyota made it clear that an electric pickup truck would be coming to the U.S. in “the near future.” Toyota announced earlier this month that it would be testing the Hilux Revo BEV Concept with a larger fleet. The concept adds a cost-effective battery pack and power system that can go from 0 to 60 mph in 10 seconds and have a range of up to 143 miles. A truck built on the commercial EPU may have a higher range and performance.
