- Mid-March Toyota presentation in Europe promises six new EVs by 2026
- Among the models teased is a pickup, with a silhouette that doesn’t look like the truck tapped for Thailand
- The shadow-y image is hard to work from, but it looks like it could be the size of a Ford Maverick
Toyota may be going heavy on hybrids at the moment, but that doesn’t mean it has left fully electric vehicles on the back burner. At an event in Belgium mid-March, the brand previewed shadowy image of three upcoming EVs—one of which certainly appears to be a pickup truck.
We’ve seen a few teasers of this type in the past five years, of course, not the least of which was a Tacoma-like machine hanging out at the rear of a larger display and sporting an EV-appropriate grille-less maw. In addition, there are also rumblings of electric trucks being developed for emerging markets such as Thailand, though it is believed those efforts will be of the single-cab variety.
Why is that important? Because the ghostly figure shared by Toyota at the Belgian event is most definitely a Double or Crew Cab model, the very type of cabin to which North Americans tend to gravitate. This could – could – portend a Tacoma(-ish) EV eventually showing up on our shores. Such speculation is bolstered by the appearance of machines like the new BZ4X and revamped Lexus RZ at the same event, both of which have more than a random chance of making their way to our market.
Alongside the electric truck’s silhouette were shadowy renderings of two other upcoming Toyota EVs, one of which is likely the brand’s three-row crossover, which has reportedly seen its launch pushed back until the 2026 year. Given the propensity of this company to gingerly dip its toe in the EV waters, we’re not at all surprised that a Toyota-badged rival for the Kia EV9 and Hyundai Ioniq 9 has been shoved aside for now. Remember, the Blue Oval crew in Dearborn recently did the same to its three-row EV, as well.
Returning to speculation about the pickup, it is worth remembering that Toyota didn’t just show the white Tacoma-esque EV in the past, but also a machine clumsily dubbed the EPU Concept. This rig is more in league with trucks like the Ford Maverick and Hyundai Santa Cruz, at least in terms of size and overall shape, if not powertrain. That vehicle was shown way back in 2023 at the Japan Mobility Show that year.
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