MANILA: In Bangkok, Thailand, Toyota Motor Thailand Co., Ltd. (TMT), the vehicle manufacturing and distribution affiliate of Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC), hosted a ceremony to commemorate its 60th birthday.

Supattanapong Punmeechaow, the Kingdom of Thailand's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy, together with other Thai government officials and representatives from regional suppliers and dealers, were among the approximately 1,500 attendees at the ceremony.

TMC President Akio Toyoda and TMT President Noriaki Yamashita were among the Toyota representatives present. In addition to expressing his gratitude to Thailand, President Toyoda pledged to continue making donations.

The Toyota Hilux Revo BEV and IMV 0 are two concept cars that Toyota Motor Thailand unveiled while commemorating its 60th anniversary in the Land of Smiles. The former, as its name implies, is the company's new electric model based on the Hilux, but the latter did not appear to be connected to any current truck offerings from Toyota.

According to President of Toyota, Akio Toyoda, the Toyota IMV 0 previews a global production truck that is "over a year away," with the model having a focus on cost and adaptability.

“I truly believe this is a product that can enhance the quality of life for many people and provide new economic opportunities,” he said. The Toyota IMV 0 is the result of the diligent work of the research and development team, which spent several months on the ground observing the requirements and way of life of potential owners. Designers and engineers from Thailand, Japan, and Australia were on the team.

The Toyota IMV 0 concept car has an upright appearance, squared-off components, and a retro-inspired style. The black upper trim surrounding the grille and the LED headlamps attached to the contemporary-looking bumper are prominent up front. The handles on the bonnet, the modular roof rails, the black trim surrounding the doors, the blacked-out windows, and the small-diameter alloy wheels are a few more notable exterior features.

It is anticipated that the vehicle with the IMV moniker will serve as the foundation for an upgraded version of the Innovative IMV (International Multi-purpose Vehicle) ladder-frame platform shown in 2004. The architecture for the generation of Toyota Hilux, Fortuner, and Innova is the same.

The Hilux Revo idea is an all-electric variation of the Hilux that has a closed-off grille and other significant outward front design alterations. According to ZigWheels Malaysia, there is currently no information available on the Toyota IMV 0 and Hilux Revo BEV powertrains.

Recently, Charoen Pokphand Group (CP) and Toyota will work together to make Thailand carbon neutral. Any partners that hold the same opinion are welcome at both businesses.

Since its establishment in 1921, CP has been operating with the core value of three benefits: to country, to people, and to organization. CP provides accessibility to high quality products and expands its business in Thailand to a wide range of fields, including retail (such as 7-Eleven), distribution, industrial product, and agriculture & livestock. In the distribution field, CP has been supporting the lives of Thai people by transporting and delivering a variety of products through its wide-ranging operations, considering social, economic and environmental impacts and sustainability practices.

In addition, Toyota's business in Thailand has garnered the support of a number of stakeholders including Siam Cement Group, an important local partner for Toyota, and has grown along with the development of Thai society through products, tax payment, employment and technology transfer, while overcoming a number of challenges such as the 1997 Asian financial crisis and the 2011 floods.

Akio Toyoda, President and CEO of Toyota, commented, "The two companies, both of which consider the best for Thailand and the Earth, have agreed to proceed with what we can do now, by using each company's strengths and assets. I believe that taking this crucial step will allow us to be rewarded with appreciation from the country, and will change the future landscape."

The following three areas will be the focus of CP and Toyota's social implementation research: 

• Generating hydrogen from biogas made from farm waste (with the focus on economic zones).
• Introduction of fuel cell delivery vehicles using the aforementioned hydrogen into CP's fleet (provide a variety of solutions such as BEV and FCEV, considering travel distance and load weight).
• Effective logistics by suggesting delivery routes that are optimized using connectivity technology.

The two businesses will move forward with what can be done right away to continuously cut CO2 emissions across the entire process of producing, transferring, and using energy in order to accelerate the transition to carbon neutrality.

Photos from Toyota

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