BYD teases electric pickup truck, scheduled for global debut in 2024

ABU DHABI: BYD, the leading Chinese EV maker plans to come up with its first electric pickup truck by the end of this year globally, challenging the leading names like the Ford Ranger, Toyota HiLux, and Isuzu D-Max.

BYD has revealed a few photos of its upcoming electric pickup truck showcasing its boxy dual-cab design. The photos showcased the electric pickup truck in blue and orange camouflage paint.

At an undisclosed location, the road tests of this highly anticipated pick-up truck are going on. While specific details were not disclosed on pricing, powertrain, and performance, BYD stated that this upcoming truck marks its entry into the "new energy" pickup segment.

Leaked details suggest that the upcoming electric pickup truck produced by BYD could be based on the Bao Leopard 5 that was showcased under BYD's Fang Cheng Bao sub-brand at the Bangkok Motor Show.

The Bao Leopard 5 comes with a plug-in hybrid setup with dual electric motors and a 1.5-liter turbo gasoline engine, delivering 687 PS and 760 Nm combined power output. It includes a lithium iron phosphate battery of 31.8 kWh offering around 125 km electric range.

Zhou Zou, BYD's Mexico head, stated that BYD is planning to build a plant in Mexico to establish an export hub for the US. GM and Ford are dedicated to countering Chinese automaker competition by coming up with lower-cost EVs. Jim Farley, Ford CEO warned of revenue risks if they couldn’t compete with Chinese automakers.

With its new EV pickup, BYD is targeting the electric truck market share of Ford, aiming to meet the ever-increasing demand in overseas markets alongside other well-known competitors like the Tesla Cybertruck.

Also read: BYD Seal U SUV revealed; delivers up to 500 km range