Australian Toyota HiLux EV conversion program scrapped

Aussie start-up Roev has abandoned its local EV ute manufacturing program to convert the Toyota HiLux from diesel to battery-electric power.

Centred on the HiLux but also including the previous-generation Ford Ranger, the first phase of the Roev operation – the ‘EV Fleet Program’ – was meant to scale up during 2023 and begin fulfilling hundreds of orders that had flooded in from Australian companies looking to transition their vehicle fleets to EV powertrains.

Among them was leading EV leasing firm, CarBon, which had ordered 500 Roev 4x4 HiLux dual-cab conversions to be produced this year.

Further afield, Roev was aiming to open orders up to the general public and even develop and build its own EV ute.

This week, however, Roev chief executive Noah Wasmer announced that the company had been unable to secure enough capital to fund the initial HiLux EV conversion program, forcing it to shift its business focus away from manufacturing.

“Over the last few years, Roev has been working diligently to explore avenues for electrifying transportation and reducing emissions,” said Wasmer.

“Unfortunately, we were unable to secure the necessary capital to develop the EV HiLux program to meet the safety, reliability and scale standards we aspire to for our customers.”

The company will now pivot to a “100 per cent software-driven approach to reducing transport CO2 emissions”, which according to Wasmer “is the most viable path forward”.

He said Roev remains optimistic about the “long-term potential of the conversion model” but that the company’s focus will centre on software solutions such as “AI-powered transition planning tools for organisations looking to accelerate the reduction of transport emissions and save costs”.

In a statement from Wasmer and co-founders Paul Slade and Robert Dietz, the company said these tools “analyse existing vehicle fleets, identify opportunities for CO2 reduction, electrification, as well as provide insights into infrastructure requirements and energy management”.

“Our mission remains unchanged,” Wasmer added. “We launched Roev with the aim of making a meaningful impact on the decarbonisation of transport.

“We’re excited about the upcoming release of Roev software solutions that we believe will be the most effective means to achieve this goal.”

The news comes just days after a senior Toyota executive confirmed that the Japanese auto giant was entering the final testing phase for its 2026 Toyota HiLux EV, and that the battery-electric ute would be produced in Thailand from late next year.

A variety of other car-makers – from established players like Isuzu to newcomers such as Geely Auto – are expected to introduce factory-built full-electric mid-size utes and bigger pick-up trucks in the next few years, joining the sole local offering, the LDV eT60.

These include the Isuzu D-MAX BEV, Geely’s Radar, EV versions of the incoming Kia Tasman and a related Hyundai model, an all-new LDV ute, and the bigger Rivian R1T and Tesla Cybertruck, to name a few.

The plug-in hybrid BYD Shark and a PHEV version of the Ford Ranger are also on their way, following the recent releases of the mild-hybrid HiLux and full-hybrid GWM Cannon Alpha.

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