Toyota dropped a 1,675 lb caravan on its electric truck, and it drove off unfazed [Video]

This is a vehicle news item rather than a home energy upgrade story, but here's what happened: Toyota tested its new electric Hilux pickup by dropping a 1,675-pound caravan on it from 30 feet up, using a crane at an airfield in the UK. The stunt was a callback to a famous 2003 Top Gear test on the gas-powered Hilux, and Toyota let Reddit users vote on how to torture-test the electric version. Aside from some dents, the truck started right up and drove away.

The Hilux BEV is Toyota's first electric pickup and its first electric vehicle with a body-on-frame design. It has a dual-motor all-wheel-drive system making 278 horsepower and 348 lb-ft of torque, and it can tow over 3,700 pounds. Its battery is 59.2 kWh, giving a driving range up to 160 miles on the standard test cycle (or up to 236 miles in city driving). Fast charging can take it from 10% to 80% in about 30 minutes. In the UK, the base model starts at £42,170 (about $56,500) before tax.

For homeowners, this isn't directly about weatherization or rebates, but it's worth noting if you're weighing an electric truck as part of home energy plans, say, for backup power or towing equipment for solar or battery installs. The Hilux BEV isn't sold in the US, so this news mainly matters if you're tracking the broader shift toward electric trucks and what they can handle.