The proof that tradition and modern engineering can be combined in the most impressive way appeared on the runway at Bentwaters Airport in Suffolk, where Toyota UK decided to put the ninth generation Hilux BEV to the toughest test. Taking advantage of its legendary image of "indestructibility", established by the show "Top Gear" more than two decades ago, the manufacturer handed the right to make a decision directly into the hands of the internet community. After giving Reddit users the choice between a one-ton wrecking ball and dropping a camper from a great height, public opinion overwhelmingly voted in favor of repeating the iconic camper-destroying stunt.
Keeping their promise to the digital community, engineers lifted a 760-kilogram camper using a heavy-duty crane, positioning it directly above a brand-new zero-emission Hilux BEV, before letting gravity take over. The camper's fragile wood and fiberglass structure shattered catastrophically upon impact with the pickup truck's cabin - an event captured dynamically by cameras from both the outside and inside. Yet, to the delight of both purists and skeptics, the structural integrity of the heavy-duty chassis withstood the crushing vertical load.
Beneath the warped roofline and cracked windshield, the vital mechanical anatomy of this electric “workhorse” proved completely unharmed. The centrally located battery pack, protected within the sturdy chassis frames, suffered no electrical damage, allowing the vehicle to immediately start up and pull away from the wreckage under its own electric power. While the hard impact temporarily compressed the suspension and rendered the cabin cosmetically unusable, the demonstration successfully proved that the robust construction that has defined decades of internal combustion engine pickups has not been lost in the transition to electrification.
The widely publicized publicity stunt serves as a clever marketing and engineering stunt for the brand, which is currently expanding its portfolio to include diesel variants with a mild hybrid system, a pioneering all-electric model and a hydrogen-powered version planned for 2028. While diesel models continue to dominate global sales due to heavy-duty towing requirements, proving the all-electric variant can withstand catastrophic abuse is reassuring to commercial operators. After successfully completing the jump in Suffolk, the battered electric vehicle has now been uploaded to the official “Top Gear“ YouTube channel for the second round of endurance testing, ensuring that the legacy of the world's most durable pickup truck boldly enters the electric era.