Toyota Shock Admission: Electric HiLux And 4WDs Won’t Suit Mainstream Buyers Until Battery Tech Leaps Forward
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on EVCentral.
These are the three introductory paragraphs.
Toyota says electric utes and 4WDs are still years away from suiting mainstream, consumer-facing applications like touring and towing.
The admission came from Toyota Australia’s engineering team, speaking at the recent HiLux BEV and LandCruiser 300 Performance Hybrid briefing.
Toyota Australia’s product planning chief Ray Munday said battery energy density remains the single biggest obstacle standing between today’s electric utes and something capable of doing what a diesel HiLux or LandCruiser can do.
EVCentral also has an article entitled Toyota boss exults in Australian launch of new HiLux EV in 2026, hydrogen HiLux coming in 2028.
I hope, I’m still here in 2028, so I can have a ride in a hydrogen HiLux.
Toyota To Enter Hydrogen-Powered Car In 2027 Dakar Rally
The title of this post, is the same as that of an article on autosport.
This is the sub-heading.
Toyota will field a fuel cell-powered prototype alongside its regular petrol-engined Hilux in the Dakar.
These two paragraphs add more details.
Toyota’s Gazoo Racing arm has announced plans to field a hydrogen-powered prototype in the 2027 Dakar Rally.
Christened the DKR GR FC Hilux, the car incorporates fuel cell technology into the pick-up that has become the benchmark in the World Rally-Raid Championship.
As someone, who worked in a hydrogen factory in the 1960s, I find this a very positive development for the use of hydrogen.
Meet The 6×6 Toyota Hilux Built To Tackle Electric Car Fires
The title of this post, is the same as that as this article on Select Car Leasing.
This is the sub-heading.
A car fire is never a good thing, and if the car is electric, the results could be even worse. If it all goes up in flames while the vehicle is in a multi-storey car park, then the consequences could be dire, with limited space available for fire services to control the situation.
This introductory paragraph adds some more details.
Such incidents happen — more than 1,000 cars were destroyed in a fire in Liverpool, while a multi-storey collapsed in Stavanger — so a UK company has converted a Toyota Hilux pickup into a six-wheel EV fire-fighting machine to keep us all safe.
A lot more details are given on the vehicle’s web site, which is called the 6 x 6 HILOAD.
I was alerted to the need for such a vehicle by this article in The Times, which is entitled How Scotland’s New £30k Fire Engines Left Crews Walking To Wildfires.
The pictures on the 6 x 6 HILOAD web site, show a vehicle with a Czechnia registration.
So, I typed “6 x 6 HILOAD Czechnia” into Google AI and received this answer.
The 6×6 Hiload (developed by Prospeed Motorsport) is a custom, six-wheeled conversion of the Toyota Hilux designed specifically for emergency response, particularly targeting electric vehicle (EV) battery fires.In Czechia, the 6×6 Hiload is undergoing trials with Czech Fire & Rescue Services (Hasiči) to test its capabilities in fast-response and confined environments. Key features of the vehicle in action include:
EV Firefighting: It utilizes specialized equipment like the Coldcut Cobra system, which pierces EV battery casings to extinguish fires directly with a minimal amount of water, reducing the risk of thermal runaway.
Low Profile: Standing at less than 1.9 metres tall, it can easily navigate low-clearance urban underground and multi-storey car parks that traditional, larger fire engines cannot access.
High Payload: The custom six-wheel chassis stretches the Hilux and increases its payload capacity to roughly 3,000kg, allowing it to carry heavy fire and rescue equipment without sacrificing off-road mobility.
This chassis will have more uses than a Swiss army knife.
I suspect the Ukrainians could find several uses.
Toyota Hydrogen Cars At Le Mans
I gave the title of this post to Google AI and this is what I received.
Toyota is aggressively pushing hydrogen technology at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, moving beyond concepts to on-track public demonstrations of the TR LH2 Racing Prototype. Powered by a liquid-hydrogen combustion engine, the vehicle aims to showcase the viability of hydrogen as a near-zero emission fuel in endurance racing.
The TR LH2 Racing Prototype
The Vehicle: Built on the same chassis as Toyota’s TR010 HYBRID. It acts as a dedicated technology development platform to test hydrogen performance under extreme endurance conditions.
On-Track Debut: The prototype officially took to the track for demonstration laps at the 13.626km Circuit de la Sarthe during the 94th Le Mans 24 Hours.
The Drivers: The vehicle was driven in special dynamic sessions by former Le Mans winner Kazuki Nakajima.
The Competition: Toyota’s demos also featured other pioneering hydrogen machines, including the Alpine Alpenglow and the Ligier Bosch JS2 RH2.
Long-Term Vision & Infrastructure
Timeline: The ACO (Automobile Club de l’Ouest) is targeting the introduction of an official hydrogen class at Le Mans, with race entries potentially slated for upcoming endurance racing seasons.
Hydrogen Village: During the race week, Toyota highlighted the full hydrogen ecosystem.
Fans could explore the Hydrogen Village, which featured a functional TotalEnergies 700-bar liquid hydrogen refueling station.
Fuel Cell Support: Toyota’s commitment expanded to race operations, with official team staff and drivers utilizing hydrogen fuel cell buses and Toyota Hilux Fuel Cell prototypes during the event week.
Toyota seem serious about hydrogen.
The Anonymous Widower 