In a move to introduce eco-friendly public transportation options, Toyota recently introduced a pilot program in Pattaya, Thailand, where nine fully electric Hilux Revo pickup trucks have been redesigned to serve as song-taews for fixed-route transit. This development is significant in Thailand's auto industry landscape, as Chinese EV brands are beginning to challenge the established presence of Japanese car manufacturers like Toyota, Honda, and Isuzu.
The deployment of Toyota's electric pickup trucks in Pattaya is part of a broader trend in Thailand, where government incentives and subsidies have attracted substantial investments from Chinese automakers, totaling over $1.44 billion. City officials in Pattaya, including Mayor Poramet Ngampichet, are enthusiastic about the shift towards electric vehicles for public transportation, emphasizing the importance of reducing pollution in a major tourist destination like Pattaya. The mayor expressed his intention to eventually transition the entire fleet of 700 song-taews in Pattaya to electric vehicles.
The popularity of pickup trucks in Thailand, which account for about half of vehicle sales, has prompted automakers like Isuzu to set up production plants in the country to manufacture electric versions of their vehicles. Toyota, aiming to mass produce the battery-powered Hilux pickup truck by 2025, is taking proactive steps towards establishing a sustainable transportation infrastructure in Thailand. The competition between traditional Japanese automakers and emerging Chinese EV brands is reshaping the auto industry dynamics in the region's main auto assembly and export hub.