Toyota ’s Honda Ridgeline -esque A-BAT concept may have not been the most visually pleasing pickup truck ever conceived, but a new report indicates that Toyota is strongly considering moving forward with the car-based truck.
According to Automotive News, Toyota has asked suppliers to prepare bids for producing a road-going version of the A-BAT concept. Although not quite the green light, the step does show that Toyota is serious about getting the A-BAT to market.
It remains unclear exactly what platform the A-BAT would ride on, but the truck would definitely be car-based. Some industry experts are even predicting that the A-BAT could ride on a platform derived from the Toyota Camry and the upcoming third-generation Toyota Prius . Suppliers have also been instructed to price out the A-BAT with both four-cylinder and hybrid drivetrains.
Toyota is clearly trying to bringing the A-BAT to market, but the final decision will be based on the almighty dollar. If the bids reveal that it will be impossible for Toyota to turn a profit on the car-based truck, the A-BAT will never see the light of day. However, if the bids reveal that Toyota will at least break even on the A-BAT, the truck will likely be green lighted to help Toyota avoid costly CAFE fines that are looming in the not-so-distant future.
