Toyota is working on an electric Innova

No diesel, just electric: Toyota gives us a glimpse of the future of Innova

Auto News

03/31/2022

We have always felt that electric cars from major automobile manufacturers have been built around cars that are a bit more niche. Sure, hatchbacks and sedans are good, but to reach a wider audience, EV technology must be adapted to more familiar forms like SUVs, pick-up trucks, and MPVs.

Judging from what we're looking at, Toyota has indeed been listening. Yes, that's an Innova. Yes, it's an electric vehicle.

At the Indonesia International Motor Show (IIMS), Toyota Indonesia is showcasing the Innova EV concept vehicle. In Indonesia, they know it as the Kijang which is Malay for deer or antelope. Basically, it is an Innova without an engine; and it's clear because the grille for the radiator is blocked because EVs generally don't need anywhere near as much cooling as internal combustion.

Beyond that, there isn't much information at all apart from the fact that the vehicle is being displayed starting today at the IIMS in Jakarta. Toyota Indonesia also uploaded a video to their YouTube channel, but it's really more of a teaser and brand video; there are no specifications being shown like battery capacity, range, or power.

The video does give a glimpse of some of the exterior bits and details of the Innova EV. Toyota also showed the instrument cluster and the energy monitor that is being displayed on the multimedia system. Interestingly, the tachometer is there. EVs generally don't have tachometers anymore, as these kinds of vehicles generally have a power meter.

If this is indeed something Toyota is planning for production in the future, then it will be a very interesting prospect for us in the Philippines and the region. Many automakers are now adapting or engineering their most popular models to have full electric or hybrid drive like what Ford did with the F-150 Lightning or what Jeep did for the Wrangler 4xe.

Here's the next question though: since the Innova shares most of its mechanical bits with the Fortuner and Hilux, could those models be candidates for their own electric drive systems?