--- title: "Chinese Automaker Will Sell $8,950 Electric Pickup Truck in U.S." description: "Chinese automaker Kaiyun wants to sell 10,000 of its tiny electric pickup trucks in the U.S. But will it stand a chance against Ford's offerings?" date: "2019-02-05" modified: "2019-02-05" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/chinese-kaiyun-pickman-electric-pickup-truck" categories: - "Advanced Transport" tags: - "electric pickup" - "ford" - "pickup truck" - "the digest" --- # Chinese Automaker Will Sell $8,950 Electric Pickup Truck in U.S. ![]() *\Image: Kaiyun Motors\* ## F-150 Mini Not every American has the need for a giant Ford F-150 pickup truck. At least, that's what Chinese automaker Kaiyun Motors is banking on. The company's Pickman is a petite but spartan electric pickup truck that the company plans to sell in the U.S. And the price tag is only a fraction of a full-size American-built pickup truck, starting at just $8,950 for a road-legal version, [according to *Fox News*](). ![]() *Image Credit: Kaiyun Motors* ## Construction Warrior The Pickman will feature an advertised range of 75 miles (120 km), and its top speed is capped at a sluggish 28 mph (45 km/h) — not exactly a road-trip-worthy highway cruiser. But that's not the point. It will be able to carry 1,100 pounds (500 kg) of cargo, which could make it an appealing low-cost utility vehicle. In China it costs just $5,700, but the U.S. version will carry the $8,950 price tag. "I can imagine people in North America and Europe will use the Pickman as utility vehicles in construction sites," auto analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence in Hong Kong Steve Man [told *Bloomberg*](). ## Big Ambitions The news comes less than a month after Ford announced it will release an [all-electric version]() of its F-150 pickup truck. Kaiyun founder Wang Fao has ambitious plans and wants to sell at least 10,000 of the Pickman trucks, [according to *Bloomberg*](). Other than construction sites, the tiny pickup could also appeal to farm owners, factory employees and even commuters. Or at least, that's what Wang thinks. And the Chinese automaker is aiming for the sky: beat out one of the best-selling cars in American automotive history. "2019 will be year one for Kaiyun as we take on overseas markets including the U.S.," Wang told *Bloomberg*. "We can make our Pickman as successful as the F-150." **READ MORE:** [This China-Made Electric Pickup Truck Could Be Yours for $5,000]() \[*Bloomberg*\] **More on electric pickup trucks:** [Ford Is Planning an All-Electric F-150 Pickup Truck]() ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()