Chinese automotive giant Geely Auto Group is reportedly working on an electric ute (pickup truck) that the company hopes will compete with similar options such as the Rivian R1T, Tesla Cybertruck, and Ford F-150 Lightning.
According to a local Chinese report quoting “Geely insiders”, Geely’s pickup truck business has been spun off from the Geely Commercial Vehicle Group and has been established as an independent company, which is in its own stage of internal incubation.
Further, quoting “people familiar with the industry” have suggested that Geely’s pickup truck and the Geely pickup company will transform into a high-end electric model and brand.
The goal of the company is supposedly to compete with Rivian and release a pure electric utility vehicle/pickup truck in the second half of 2022.
No further information was revealed and Geely has not made any official comment on its English-language press site.
But it’s worth noting that, unlike some Chinese automakers, Geely already boasts a significant global footprint, owning Swedish automotive giant Volvo Cars and their electric vehicle company Polestar.
As such, aiming to “benchmark Rivian” – a company which only last week made its debut on the Nasdaq stock exchange with a closing day valuation just under $US100 billion – need not necessarily be a pie-in-the-sky goal.
Similarly, as has been ably demonstrated time and again by the Rivian R1T, Ford F-150 Lightning, and even the clunky-looking Tesla Cybertruck, electric utes and trucks are only increasing in demand and popularity as the benefits of electric-powered vehicles continue to surpass that of traditional internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles.
Geely will also have the experience of its Chinese brands to build on, such as the Farizon Auto sub-brand which recently revealed an electric semi-truck concept called the Homtruck that it hopes to bring to launch by 2024.
Geely has also recently targeted annual sales of “new energy” vehicles of nearly a million by 2025.
Joshua S. Hill is a Melbourne-based journalist who has been writing about climate change, clean technology, and electric vehicles for over 15 years. He has been reporting on electric vehicles and clean technologies for Renew Economy and The Driven since 2012. His preferred mode of transport is his feet.