Ford CEO tested Chinese pickups (4 photos)

A well-known fan of Chinese vehicles and Ford CEO Jim Farley shared his opinion on the Chinese pickup trucks he drove during a working visit to Australia. He concluded that while competitors' products are good, they're not designed for heavy-duty work.





After three days behind the wheel of the BYD Shark 6 and GWM Cannon Alpha hybrid midsize trucks, Ford's CEO acknowledged their competitiveness compared to American and Japanese trucks in the same class, albeit with a significant caveat.

According to Farley, as quoted by Drive, although the Shark is a pickup truck, it can't compete with the Ranger or Hilux with a 500-kilogram load capacity. However, the top manager acknowledged that it is a competitive product for those customers who want a pickup truck but don't regularly load it with heavy equipment or tow trailers.

Farley also reported that his engineers have already disassembled the BYD Shark 6 to understand its construction, but they still have difficulty understanding how the Chinese company manages to make money on the model.

According to the top manager, companies like Ford and Toyota maintain a significant advantage thanks to their years of experience in producing reliable and durable cargo-passenger vehicles designed for heavy-duty applications. "Our Chinese colleagues still lack the necessary knowledge about the chassis, the required towing and payload capabilities, and other necessary experience," he stated.



BYD Shark 6





GWM Cannon Alpha