At this point, it’s really not news to say “China just created another cheap EV.” It’s a very “Ford vehicle costs owner another $500 on a Sunday afternoon” kind of headline. However, we can’t help but keep reporting on it, watching like sick, desperate freaks on the other side of the glass at a zoo. Especially when it’s an electric pickup truck.
The comments will no doubt get filled with coping:
“They’re made cheap anyway!”
“There’s no way it’s safe!”
“I’d never trust a truck from China!”
Oh, you’ll try. You’ll try to really believe you don’t want an $18,000 truck. You’ll try to tell yourself you’re perfectly fine with a $37,000 F-150 – you love a good base model. In fact, you want Ford to raise the price even more, don’t you!? $38,000? Fine. At least it’s made in America, you’ll say. $39,000? Okay, okay. You called our bluff.
Chinese EV company Chery has just revealed an electric pickup truck that’s just $18,300. This is not just cheap for a truck, but cheap for any vehicle. We can’t even get the Mazda Miata for under $30,000 anymore. What can you get, really? The Nissan Leaf? It’s not like that’s any cheaper or more American, and your neighbor is still driving that thing around.
Do you want to be surrounded by Nissan Leaves or by the Rely R08? Tell the truth this time.
Rely R08 electric pickup shocks American market with cheap price
- Image Credit: Chery
Chery has been growing massively overseas (as BYD sees a bit of a dropoff). And we don’t just mean China. China joined the World Trade Organization in 2001, and that’s when Chery started importing SUVs and cars around the world. It’s now the first Chinese carmaker to reach 5 million exports, including to the Middle East and Europe.
People want cheap vehicles. They just do.
And the United States is no exception. However, we don’t get them. We’ve been feeling FOMO for a while, and this pickup has definitely sent American drivers over the edge. Americans have been fantasizing about a cheap, simple pickup for years. Slate’s customizable electric pickup is attempting to fill that void – a void that can only be filled by a simple, unsafe pickup that gets the job done and not much else.
However, Chery’s Rely brand has now revealed the R08 electric pickup, which is not a soulless, ugly cardboard box with wheels. In fact, it could even rival the electric pickups we have in the United States while being one-third the price.
The R08 EV has up to 315 miles of range at its highest trim, and can be either a single-motor RWD powertrain or a dual-motor AWD for $22,800. Depending on the trim, you also get a central infotainment screen that ranges from 12.3” to 15.6” with a smart cockpit system. The higher trim also has advanced driver-assistance features like cruise control and lane-keep assist.
Chery’s cheap pickup also looks quite handsome, with a bold grille, aggressive headlights, and a body shape reminiscent of the Toyota Hilux. Meanwhile, the Ford F-150 Lightning (which ultimately failed), is nearly $55,000 to start, similar to the starting point for the Chevrolet Silverado EV. These two electric pickups end up costing way more once you add in all the extra features and higher trims.
And what do they have over the R08 aside from being made “in America?” Just admit that if the current administration wasn’t raising tariffs and blocking Chinese exports, you’d consider an $18,000 Chinese electric pickup that does everything you need and more. Just admit you’d rather see this in your neighbor’s driveway than a Nissan Leaf.
This is a safe space.
