Toyota Motor plans to begin Thai manufacturing of a hydrogen fuel cell Hilux pickup in December 2027, with initial output intended for export.
Thailand's Board of Investment (BOI) has approved investment promotion for Toyota Motor Thailand's Bt1.49bn ($44.3m) project to establish a hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) production line at the Ban Pho plant in Chachoengsao province.
The company will convert its existing Hilux production line and add facilities to assemble hydrogen tanks, fuel cells, battery packs, electric motors and energy control units.
Hydrogen refuelling stations will also be installed at the factory to support production and testing.
The line will turn out the New Hilux FCEV, with an annual capacity of 3,000 vehicles. Initial shipments will go to Europe, Australia and New Zealand.
The project is projected to use roughly Bt640m of domestic raw materials and components annually, covering air-conditioning and cooling systems, seats, wheels and tyres, wiring harnesses and interior parts.
Toyota also plans to transfer technology and share knowledge with domestic parts suppliers on production, quality control, safety, environmental management and human-resources management.
According to the translated version of BOI’s statement, it said the investment backs Thailand's strategy of developing a “world-class automotive manufacturing base across all technologies”.
These include internal-combustion-engine vehicles, mild hybrid electric vehicles, hybrid electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, battery electric vehicles and FCEVs.
BOI secretary-general Narut Teodsathirasak said: “This investment not only enhances our capabilities in hydrogen technology but also creates opportunities for human resource development, technology transfer, and the development of Thai parts manufacturers into the future automotive supply chain.”
Toyota's Thai operations span 64 years, during which it has invested more than Bt200bn in the country.
It runs plants at Samrong, Gateway and Ban Pho, which together can produce more than 770,000 vehicles a year, and it employs more than 13,000 people.
The BOI further said that it had approved 203 EV-related investment promotion projects in Thailand as of September 2026, with total investment exceeding Bt141bn.
The projects span vehicle production, batteries, components and related infrastructure.
