Toyota says the addition of an electric version of its new-generation HiLux – and the announcement a hydrogen fuel-cell electric HiLux has been locked in for 2028 – isn’t simply a play to meet ever tightening emissions regulations.
Order books for the new-generation HiLux will open next month and, from the first quarter of 2026, the lineup will include an electric version.
Toyota Australia is also introducing a HiLux fuel-cell electric vehicle (FCEV) in 2028.
The new HiLux models arrive in the wake of Australia’s New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES), which came into effect in 2025 and imposed carbon-dioxide emissions limits for each brand.
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Brands exceeding an average across all vehicles they sell are subject to fines – with those below able to bank ‘credits’ they can on-sell to other automakers.
But Toyota Australia has argued the new HiLux variants won’t be as helpful in meeting its targets as its growing lineup of hybrids and plug-in hybrids.
“The [HiLux BEV] volume’s almost incidental in the grand scheme of 200,000-plus cars,” said Toyota Australia vice president of sales and marketing, Sean Hanley, at a media briefing.
The top-selling car brand in Australia since 2003, Toyota sold a record 241,296 vehicles here in 2024 and is on track to sell a similar number this year.
“Any BEV is helpful because you build credits, right? So, any BEV you sell is going to be helpful – plug-in [hybrid] and hybrid, on the other hand, will be incredibly helpful,” said Mr Hanley.
“NVES is yet subject to a further review at the end of ’26. We would ask government to consider very carefully NVES to have [an] ZLEV [Zero and Low Emissions Vehicle] approach.
“That means zero-to-low emission vehicles – that would be plug-in hybrids, BEVs, fuel cell electrics … We would suggest that hybrids should still play an integral role in any NVES development, but we’ll have to wait and see whether that comes about.”
Mr Hanley said the automaker isn’t calling for a relaxing of emissions limits but said hybrids and plug-in hybrids should count towards NVES credits on an ongoing basis, even if they don’t fall below NVES limits.
The new LandCruiser Hybrid, scheduled to launch here in March 2026, is one such vehicle, with Mr Hanley confirming it will be penalised under NVES as it won’t meet 2026 limits.
“I’m suggesting that ZLEV approach for a period – maybe not forever, for a period – would be a more sensible approach on policy and ensure that we move towards decarbonisation,” Mr Hanley said.
“Because have a look right now … our stats are just under fifty per cent of all cars we will sell – we’re talking hundreds of thousands of cars we’ll will sell this year – just under fifty percent are going to be hybrids.”
“What is that telling you about the market right now? For a period, I’m suggesting that hybrid should continue to count towards credits.”
“I get you’ve got to bring carbon [emissions] down … but if you want to transition to decarbonisation, take consumers with you, because if you cut them off, you know what happens? They stay with what they’ve got. Is that going to decarbonise us any quicker?”
Toyota has been criticised globally for slow roll-out of BEVs, sticking to its ‘multi-pathway’ approach of different powertrains – including hybrid, diesel, PHEV and BEVs – for different markets.
In 2025 it introduced its first BEV, the bZ4X mid-size SUV, to Australian showrooms, and will follow this with the bZ4X Touring in 2026 as well as the HiLux BEV.
The C-HR BEV has been confirmed for 2027, with the HiLux FCEV locked in for a 2028 Australian on-sale.
