Toyota EPU Pickup Concept Debuts as All-Electric Mid-Size Peek at the Future
The Toyota EPU Pickup Truck Concept is technically a mid-sizer, but dimensionally speaking, it’s still quite small.
It’s no secret that Toyota is investing big in electrification at the moment, conjuring up a host of concepts to show off while it develops its next-level battery technology that it claims will boost range by a significant margin compared to current products. However, what most didn’t expect was that Toyota would bring out a group of new all-electric concepts to show off at the 2023 Japan Mobility Show, and yet, that’s precisely what happened. As it turns out, that group included one notable model for truck fans, too – the Toyota EPU Pickup Truck Concept.
While it may not be the pure, cheap, compact that most have been pining for – a proper Ford Maverick rival, if you will – as the Toyota EPU Pickup Truck is referred to as a mid-size model by the automaker. However, when we take a look at its dimensions, the EPU is actually 1.4 inches closer to the ground and 0.1 inches shorter in terms of length, but it’s also underpinned by a wheelbase that’s 2.6 inches wider and 10.8 inches longer.
Thus, the Toyota EPU sort of blurs the lines between a compact and a mid-sizer, but the bed – at 4.5 feet – falls squarely in the former category, matching the Maverick’s. The focus here remains on passenger space mostly, as is the case with most modern pickups, However, the bed can be expanded to six feet thanks to the presence of a mid-gate that opens up behind the rear seat, though the glass does not come out or move.
Inside the cabin, the EPU is pretty simple and straightforward, with a single screen adorning the driver’s side portion of the dash. This houses the infotainment and digital instrument cluster, which is framed by a yoke rather than a traditional steering wheel in this case. There are plenty of cubby holes and storage space here, with neatly integrated HVAC vents and multiple tones to help make the cabin look a bit more upscale than it actually probably is.
Toyota didn’t share any sort of powertrain information regarding the EPU concept, nor what kind of battery it might come equipped with, but did note that it may also offer a plug-in hybrid version – which could be music to the ears of ICE fans who aren’t quite ready to make the leap to a fully-electric model. In any event, the Toyota EPU Pickup Truck Concept is just that – a concept – for now, but it’s certainly nice to see that the automaker hasn’t given up on the idea of making a smaller, more affordable hauler for the masses.
Photos: Toyota
Join the YotaTech forums now!
