Kaiyun Motors is manufacturing electric pick up trucks and it is planning to sell them in the U.S. The vehicle called the "Pickman" is surprisingly cheap that buyers can have it by spending just $5,000.
Bloomberg reported that Kaiyun Motors is set to mass produce and export the small vehicle after thorough research in the U.S. market and examining the needs of the American consumers. It was added that the car manufacturing company's CEO, Wang Chao, already secured the permits and other requirements so they can sell up to 10,000 units of the said electric trucks in America.
Kaiyun Motors' Pickman is an EV that can run at the speed of 28 miles per hour at the most and its maximum range is only 75 miles. But even with this specification, analysts believe that there will still be many great uses for the new electric vehicle. It may be slow but it will certainly be helpful as a utility vehicle.
"I can imagine people in North America and Europe will use the Pickman as utility vehicles in construction sites," Steve Man, auto analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence in Hong Kong, said in an interview. "Beyond that, it remains to be seen if western consumers are willing to replace their larger pickups with the Pickman."
In China, the electric pickup will be sold for just $2,500 and the big difference compared to the U.S. price is due to due to certain reinforcements that were not specified and feature options like the gun rack. Moreover, despite its small size, it was said that owners can load up to 1,100 pounds of materials on the Pickman trucks for hauling purposes.
With their latest venture, Kaiyun Motors president is optimistic that they will get good results this year. "2019 will be year one for Kaiyun as we take on overseas markets including the U.S," Chao said. "We can make our Pickman as successful as the F-150 (Ford truck)."
Meanwhile, in a new update that was published by Fox News, it clarified that the retail price of Pickman electric car in the U.S. starts at $8,950 and not $5,000 as initially reported. It added that some features and specifications are also optional so prices vary. It should be noted that the $5,700 price tag mentioned by Kaiyun is not the approved version of the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that can run on the roads at a speed of 35 mph and below.
