Australia's first electric HiLux is now in showrooms, and it is not for you. Not if you are a tradie, a farmer, or anyone who regularly tows something heavier than a jet ski. The HiLux BEV tows 1,600kg with a braked trailer, carries 715kg in the tray, and does 315km on the NEDC test cycle. Toyota has set a 2026 sales target of 500 units. They mean every word of it.

What you get for $74,990

Three variants at launch. The SR double cab-chassis starts at $74,990 before on-road costs. The SR double cab pickup is $76,490. The SR5 double cab pickup sits at $82,990. All three run a 59.2kWh battery with dual electric motors giving 205Nm up front and 268.6Nm at the rear, for a combined 473Nm of torque. The 0-100km/h time is not published, but Toyota says it is quick off the line. Ground clearance is 218mm, wading depth matches the diesel at 700mm, and the approach and departure angles are identical to the petrol siblings.

The real number is the towing figure

This is where the HiLux BEV parts ways with most of the people who buy a HiLux. The standard diesel HiLux tows 3,500kg. The BEV tows 1,600kg. That gap excludes horse floats, boat trailers at the heavy end, caravans, and any serious farm or construction towing. Payload is 715kg versus the diesel's 1,000kg. These are not specs Toyota buried. They are the design brief.

The HiLux BEV is built for fleet operators in mining, construction site logistics, and government use where short-range daily driving dominates and return-to-base charging is possible. Think a council ranger, a mine site transfer vehicle, or a government fleet manager checking a box. The diesel HiLux is for the tradie in Toowoomba pulling a trailer every second day.

Cartell Assessment

The 500-unit sales target is the most honest thing Toyota has said about the HiLux BEV. They know this is not a volume product. It is a test bed and a fleet compliance vehicle, not a tradie's daily. At $74,990 before on-roads, it costs more than a well-specced diesel HiLux and does less of the heavy work. For the specific use case it is built for, short-range fleet operations where charge points are planned, it is a reasonable tool. For everyone else, the diesel still makes more sense. That is a fine answer as long as Toyota is honest about it, and the 500-unit target suggests they are.

AU Outlook

Deliveries are underway now. Toyota says fleet buyers, particularly in mining and government, are the primary target. Watch for pricing movement in 2027 as battery costs drop and the BYD Shark 6 Performance continues taking ute buyers who want electrification with actual towing numbers. The HiLux BEV's real test will be whether Toyota follows up with a version that meets mainstream towing expectations. At 1,600kg, this one does not.