The world is moving fast towards the electric era and automakers gradually abandon the development of internal combustion engines in favor of fully electric powertrains. However, it seems that diesel engines used in trucks and commercial vehicles are not dead yet – at least according to a report from BestCarWeb.

Toyota is allegedly starting the development of a cleaner diesel engine that could march on in the 2030s. In order to comply with the upcoming ICE-related restrictions in Japan and other markets around the world, the new diesel will probably integrate some form of electrification. This shouldn’t be hard for Toyota which excels in hybrid technology, although a diesel-hybrid combination is unconventional, but not exactly a novelty.

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If the rumors are true, the new diesel-hybrid engine would be a great fit for off-road vehicles like the new Land Cruiser and the upcoming Land Cruiser Prado, as well as for commercial vehicles like the Hiace. An electrified diesel would combine high levels of torque with extended range, fuel efficiency, and durability. It would also come in handy for those who live in remote areas without access to the charging infrastructure.

The range of the new Toyota Land Cruiser 300 includes a 3.3-liter V6 diesel producing 304 hp (227 kW, 309 ps) and 700 Nm (516 lb-ft) of torque. As for the Toyota Hiace which was unveiled in 2019, it is offered with a 2.8-liter four-cylinder turbodiesel producing 174 hp (130 kW / 177 PS) and up to 450 Nm (332 lb-ft) of torque.

As a reminder, the last full hybrid diesel came from PSA Group which produced Hybrid4 variants of the previous generation Peugeot 3008 and 508, as well as the Citroen DS5 between 2011 and 2016. In this case, the system combined a 2.0 HDi diesel engine powering the front wheels with an electric motor for the rear axle.

Although it sounded promising on paper, the French company quickly abandoned this setup and replaced the diesel with petrol engines for their new-generation hybrids. Since then, the few remaining electrified diesel engines from automakers like Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz use mild-hybrid technology.