Toyota reveals HiLux going hybrid as company teases its first Australian EV

Toyota is finally joining the race to electrify our roads, announcing plans to launch at least three EVs in three years in Australia after the EV-sceptic heir to the Toyota throne stepped aside to make way for new luxury blood.

Dubbed the 2023 Toyota BZ4X, it marks the first time the world’s largest automotive manufacturer has ever launched a full-battery EV in the Australian market — in some cases over a decade behind its competitors.

The Australian specs of the BZ4X will be released later this year ahead of expressions of interest from customers, but don’t expect it to be cheap, Australian vice president of marketing and sales Sean Hanley warns.

“Battery-electric cars are expensive, don’t kid yourself,” he told journalists.

“They are expensive to build. If you want quality, safety, performance and range they are expensive.

“Lithium prices have gone through the roof. This car will not be a cheap car.”

Looking forward, Hanley says, Toyota has plans to launch no fewer than 30 new EV models by 2030 — including electric passenger cars, SUVs and commercial vehicles — with the first three to launch in Australia by 2026.

“In the same timeframe, we expect to have an electrified version of every model in our local range, excluding performance cars, and we will continue to evaluate all EVs for this market as they’re made available.”

Coinciding with the announcement was a $20 million investment from Toyota into Australia’s EV chargers, with the installation of the first stage of the dealership charging network, involving 232 sites, underway already.

“Our dealers will have a mix of AC and fast-charging DC outlets in prime metropolitan and regional sites as well as smaller locations across the country, ensuring they deliver the best possible customer experience for Toyota EV owners,” Hanley said.

Why has it taken this long for Toyota to release an EV?

Toyota was somewhat of a trailblazer in the hybrid space, with its best-selling Prius taking the automotive world by storm in 1997 and making Toyota a leader in more energy-efficient vehicles.

Toyota has been riding the hybrid wave ever since. In 2022, Toyota was the biggest seller of hybrids in Australia — mostly RAV4s — with a record 72,000 driving out of the showroom, accounting for nearly a third (31.5%) of the Japanese automotive titan’s total sales.

The Japanese automaker has also had an EV reluctant person at the top for the past 13 years. But the automotive world was shocked last month when heir to the empire Akio Toyoda announced he would stand aside as CEO to make way for incoming former Lexus executive Koji Sato (Lexus is a subsidiary of Toyota).

Eyebrows had been raised last November when leaked information suggested Toyota was rethinking its $38 billion EV rollout plan to compete with Tesla, and had stopped work on some of the 30 EV projects announced in December, including the Toyota Compact Cruiser crossover and the battery-electric Crown.

It seems Toyota is looking to move as many petrol-powered vehicles as it can too. The automotive giant has ordered a record number of HiLux utes — Australia’s most popular car for seven consecutive years.

The brand was tight-lipped when probed for a number figure, but with 64,000 HiLux utes sold last year and a six-month waitlist, pundits expect 2023’s order to well exceed that figure.

Could an EV HiLux be far off? Toyota teased an electric HiLux concept in Thailand last year and the Australian division is investigating how feasible a local model would be. One thing’s for sure — it’ll be hybrid by 2030, Hanley said.