Toyota continues testing an all-electric version of its Hilux pickup truck. As part of the next series of tests, a small batch of these trucks will appear in the streets of Thailand, where they will work as shuttle taxis, according to Pras Ganesh, executive vice president of Toyota Daihatsu Engineering & Manufacturing, Reuters reported.

Battery-powered Toyota Hiluxes will be plying the streets of the Thai resort town of Pattaya from early next year. They will be transformed into “songthaews,” pickups that are commonly modified for use as taxis in many Southeast Asian countries, adding seats for passengers in the body, writes Avto.ru.

Pickup trucks accounted for nearly half of Thailand's car sales last year. Toyota accounts for about a third of the country's total market, but has recently seen serious competition in the electric car space from Chinese manufacturers including BYD and Great Wall Motor.

The first demonstration of a prototype called Toyota Hilux Revo BEV took place a year ago in Thailand. Also, it was shown to potential buyers in Australia last month. But no specifications, as well as the date of the start of sales, have been revealed yet.