Toyota has recreated the famous caravan-drop stunt from Top Gear to test whether its new electric Hilux can match the toughness of the diesel pickup that survived the original abuse. At Bentwaters airfield in Suffolk, England, the automaker dropped a 1,675-pound (760-kilogram) caravan from roughly 30 feet (nine meters) onto the electric truck’s cab.

The caravan came off worse. Toyota says the electric Hilux sustained only modest bodywork damage, powered up immediately after the impact and drove away under its own power. The test took place on a closed course with professionals handling the stunt, and Toyota said the caravan debris was recovered for recycling.

A familiar Hilux test for the electric era

The original Top Gear episode aired on November 23, 2003. In it, Jeremy Clarkson subjected a 1980s diesel Hilux to a series of increasingly destructive tests, including driving it into a tree and a building, leaving it in the sea, striking it with a wrecking ball and setting it on fire. The final blow involved dropping a caravan onto the pickup.

More than two decades later, Toyota asked Reddit users to choose the electric Hilux’s durability challenge. The options were repeated impacts from a one-ton wrecking ball or the caravan drop. Users selected the caravan, bringing the old stunt back with a battery-powered truck in the starring role.

Battery protection was part of development

Toyota’s demonstration was aimed at more than nostalgia. The company says the electric Hilux underwent deep-water driving, rough-terrain testing and total immersion of its battery during development. Engineers also created specific measures to protect the battery from damage in extreme conditions.

The caravan impact does not establish that the electric Hilux is indestructible, and Toyota does not present it as an owner-recommended test. It does, however, provide a highly visible demonstration that the battery and electric drivetrain remained functional after a severe controlled impact to the cab.

Electric power is one of several Hilux choices

The latest Hilux is now in its ninth generation, but the electric version is not the only powertrain offered. Toyota continues to sell the pickup with a diesel engine, while some markets also receive a gasoline version. A hydrogen fuel-cell Hilux is scheduled to arrive in a few years, according to the source material.

Some regions also offer a simpler base model with steel wheels and a manual transmission. Toyota says more than 21 million Hilux pickups have been delivered since the nameplate launched in 1968, helping explain why durability remains central to the truck’s identity.

More testing is planned

The electric Hilux’s punishment is not over. Toyota has handed the truck to the Top Gear YouTube channel for further testing, suggesting additional abuse-focused demonstrations are on the way. For now, the caravan drop gives Toyota a direct visual link between the electric pickup and the Hilux that made its reputation on television.