BYD’s First Energy Pickup Truck: A Threat to Toyota’s Hilux?

BYD’s upcoming pickup truck
is aimed at the global market
and will feature off-road capabilities

BYD has released a photo of its upcoming electric pickup truck on X (formerly Twitter) with the caption ‘Coming Soon.’ BYD has announced that it will launch its first new energy pickup truck model, specially developed for the global market, within this year.

According to industry insiders, BYD’s pickup truck, which will launch in late 2022, will be a mid-to-large model with dimensions surpassing those of Toyota’s Hilux. Spy shots of BYD’s electric pickup truck undergoing road tests have been circulating on Chinese social media since late 2022. There is considerable consumer interest in what this vehicle will look like.

The reason why BYD hasn’t made a pickup truck so far is due to
regulations within China

While BYD has produced many sedans and SUV electric vehicles to date, it has not ventured into the pickup truck segment due to the numerous restrictions in China, where pickup trucks are classified as small trucks and face more restrictions than regular passenger car models like sedans and SUVs. This could be why BYD stated that its upcoming electric pickup truck is designed with the global market in mind rather than the domestic one.

On Chinese highways, pickup trucks must drive in the far-right slow lane, and while regular passenger cars can go up to 120 km/h (approximately 75 mph), pickup trucks are not allowed to exceed 100 km/h (approximately 62 mph). Additionally, pickup truck owners must have their vehicles inspected by traffic authorities for the first 10 years of ownership, and if the car is over 15 years old, it must be scrapped. However, these restrictions have recently been somewhat relaxed, which may be why BYD is preparing to launch a pickup truck.

Ford Ranger, Toyota Tacoma, and other
mid-to-large pickup trucks might be similar in size to BYD’s upcoming model

The electric pickup truck that BYD posted on X was covered in a flashy camouflage wrap, making it difficult to see the vehicle’s interior and exterior details. According to industry sources, BYD’s electric pickup truck, described as a mid-to-large-sized truck, is expected to be roughly the same size as pickup trucks like the Rivian R1T, Chevrolet Colorado, Ford Ranger, and Toyota Tacoma.

According to another post by BYD on X, the upcoming electric pickup truck will offer a plug-in hybrid mode and BYD’s off-road-focused ‘DMO technology.’ The price has not been disclosed, but given that it’s a pickup truck, it’s unlikely to be cheap. If exported to the global market, tariffs could potentially increase the price.

BYD, which saw a decrease in sales in the first quarter of this year,
has lost the top spot in electric vehicle sales to Tesla

Amid a continuous decrease in demand for electric vehicles, BYD also appears to be grappling with the challenges other electric vehicle manufacturers face. Last year, BYD became the world’s largest electric vehicle manufacturer thanks to aggressive pricing and global expansion. However, a decrease in sales in the first quarter of this year resulted in Tesla reclaiming the top spot in electric vehicle sales.

In the first quarter of this year, BYD sold 300,114 electric cars, a 43% decrease compared to last year. BYD’s fiercest competitor, Tesla, also delivered about 386,810 vehicles in the first quarter of this year, an 8.5% decrease compared to the previous year.