TOYOTA'S FORGOTTEN HYBRID UNIBODY PICKUP TRUCK

Today, hybrid vehicles are a common sight on our roads, and millions of consumers have embraced hybrid power thanks to improved fuel economy and environmental benefits. This is also gradually starting to become true for pickup trucks, a category that has historically been more reluctant to embrace hybrid powertrains. As we've seen on trucks like the latest Toyota Tundra, hybrid powertrains can also add to performance in terms of power and torque.

One precursor to the hybrid trucks of today was a curious Toyota concept, brought into the world only a few years after the company’s first hybrid cars had been launched: the A-BAT. Although the A-BAT never made it to production, it did leave traces of its legacy in the hybrid cars and trucks of today. Let’s explore the history of this curious concept truck.

Meet The Toyota A-BAT

The Toyota A-BAT was introduced to the world in 2008 at the North American Auto Show in Detroit. It was characterized by its hybrid powertrain, then an uncommon feature in all vehicles, let alone pickup trucks. It also helped introduce another concept which was beginning to take hold in the American car market, but wasn’t quite as developed as it is now: the idea of the pickup truck as a daily driver, which could tackle the commute and the school run as well as the dirt road or off-road trail.

Rugged But Green: The A-BAT's Innovative Features

Environmentally-friendly features are the crucial point of focus in the A-BAT, and Toyota’s designers worked to make sure this one-of-a-kind concept truck is as green and high-tech as it can be. The interior is cleverly designed to maximize storage space, with the rear seats’ base cushions sliding out of the way under the cargo bed to create a larger loading area. Another innovative storage feature is the drawer: at the rear of the truck, a sliding drawer is concealed under the bed, and can be accessed without opening the tailgate. Taller items of cargo, meanwhile, are handled through a translucent roof panel, which slides open so they can be stored inside the cab.

One of the most unique characteristics of the A-BAT is the presence of solar panels built into the top of the dashboard - something we've since seen on cars like the Fisker Pear, which sadly never came into being. On the A-BAT, these panels are capable of providing enough energy to power small electrical items in the vehicle’s interior, such as the SatNav unit. The A-BAT is also equipped with a first aid kit and flashlight (integrated into the tailgate), an AC power outlet, tailgate lighting that illuminates the bed, and sliding tie downs.

Vibrant Clarity: The A-BAT's Design

The A-BAT is not just futuristic because of its tech features, but it looks the part, too. While it is, of course, a pickup at heart, it makes an attempt to modify and soften the traditional design you would usually expect to find on a truck. Rather than projecting ruggedness and aggressiveness, it leans into the slightly softer lines of other Toyota models, such as the first-gen Prius which served as an inspiration. Project chief engineer Ian Cartabiano told CAR Magazine:

Creative Designer Matt Sperling also revealed the A-BAT had some unusual sources of inspiration, such as NATO all-terrain military trucks: these vehicles’ design inspired Toyota’s team to keep A-BAT occupants seated further forward, maximizing rear bed capacity despite the truck’s relatively small dimensions.

The A-BAT was designed with a specific set of design principles in mind: Toyota’s “Vibrant Clarity” philosophy, which combines more straightforward, calculated elements with more emotionally-appealing ones. The company defines “Vibrant Clarity” in this way: The Toyota brand design philosophy of 'Vibrant Clarity' means simultaneously delivering exhilarating 'vibrancy' and universal 'refreshing clarity' by uniting two seemingly contradictory elements-'emotion' and 'rationality'.

Toyota's History Of Hybrid Tech

The A-BAT is only one chapter in Toyota’s rich history of working with hybrid power. The story starts around a decade before the A-BAT came to be. In 1997, Toyota launched the first mass-produced hybrid vehicle in the world, the Toyota Prius. Initially only sold in its home market of Japan, the Prius quickly made its way to other markets around the world. It arrived in the US in 2000, being narrowly beaten by the Honda Insight for the title of first production hybrid car sold in the States.

The Prius propelled hybrid technology, which up until this point had largely been the domain of automotive engineers and enthusiasts, firmly into the mainstream. Hybrid tech continued to grow in leaps and bounds, with Toyota at the forefront of innovation. In 2004, at the Geneva Motor Show, Toyota unveiled a futuristic hybrid supercar concept called the Alessandro Volta, created in collaboration with Italdesign and named after the Italian physicist who invented the battery. Although the Alessandro Volta never made it to the production stage, it helped set the scene for future hybrid sports cars and supercars, contributing to the idea that hybrid vehicles could be not just practical, but stylish.

Further hybrid models and hybrid versions of existing cars, such as the Camry, were added to Toyota’s lineup over the following two decades. Soon, sales began to grow exponentially: by 2007, one million Toyota hybrids had been sold worldwide, and by 2009 that number had already doubled. Lexus, Toyota’s high-end sub-brand, also began to adopt hybrid technology for its own model around this time.

Today, the brand offers 17 different hybrid models in the US market. Hybrid powertrains are available with all sorts of body styles, not just cars but pickup trucks and SUVs as well. Both hybrid and plug-in hybrid technology forms part of Toyota’s offering; one of the models available as both a HEV and PHEV is the Prius, which is still going strong partly thanks to its enduring popularity as a fleet and rental car.

Toyota's Hybrid Trucks Today

The A-BAT may have never reached production, but Toyota pickup trucks with hybrid powertrains have since appeared on the market. Hybrid powertrains have been slower to catch on in the world of pickup trucks; this is a segment whose customers have traditionally prioritized ruggedness and practicality over environmental credentials. However, in a world of rapidly rising gas prices, the undeniable fuel economy benefits of driving a hybrid have made themselves known in all areas of the automotive world, and pickup trucks are beginning to catch up with other types of vehicle. Toyota is leading the charge with two of its US-market vehicles, the Tacoma and Tundra; both have hybrid powertrains available on multiple body styles and trims in their lineup.

Tacoma

The Tacoma has offered a hybrid option since the start of the model’s fourth and current generation in 2024. The hybrid powertrain available on the Tacoma is called “i-Force Max”, consisting of a single electric motor nestled between the engine and transmission. The i-Force Max powertrain is available with several trims of the 2025 Tacoma, including the TRD Sport, TRD Off Road, Limited, Trailhunter, and TRD Pro.

Tundra

The Tundra introduced a hybrid option to its lineup with the arrival of the model’s third and current generation for the 2022 model year. Like the Tacoma, it also uses the i-Force Max powertrain. The 2025 Tundra’s trims available with the hybrid powertrain include the Limited, Platinum, 1794 Edition, TRD Pro, and Capstone.

Sources: Toyota, CAR Magazine, Toyota/Calty Design.

2025-02-17T06:14:23Z