Pickup trucks that can play multiple roles such as “light truck”, “off-road vehicle” and “sedan” have always been poorly sold in China, and they are a niche choice that accounts for less than 4% of the entire domestic auto market. However, with the changes in policies in recent years, the situation of pickups has improved, and this “pragmatic” model may be able to realize considerable market potential.
In April this year, there was news of the refined management of pickup trucks entering the city. Recently, the promotion of the cancellation of pickup truck entry restrictions was proposed at a higher level. In addition, three municipalities outside Beijing have relaxed the requirements for pickup trucks. Others from provincial capital cities to Second-, third-, and fourth-tier cities have liberalized or even completely unrestricted pickup trucks, making this depression in the auto market that has been talked about for many years expected to become a new outlet worth tens of billions.
Because of its wide range of uses, pickup trucks have performed well in the automotive market in various regions of the world, but they have never been popular in the Chinese market. The elements of “hardcore” and “romantic” have basically been eliminated, leaving only “hard work”. One advantage is even a bit “earthy” being complained about. Domestic consumers mostly use pickup trucks as multi-purpose construction vehicles with “four dissimilarities”. The joke that a pickup truck “goes to the city without soil, and goes to the countryside without arrogance” is more of a joke. Pickup trucks have been restricted from entering the city for a long time, and it is even more unimaginable to drive a pickup truck to social activities. Most of the pickup truck owners are private owners scattered in third- and fourth-tier cities and rural areas. The main functional requirement is to pull goods, and they can pull goods quickly and widely, so that they can make the best use of their vehicles.
The pickup truck market has suffered some setbacks over the years because of limited policies, so when the management of its entry into the city has changed, the pickup truck’s spring will be settled. In fact, the rigid demand for pickup trucks is very strong. With the opening of policies and changes in consumption concepts, mid-to-high-end pickup trucks show huge market potential. Moreover, the profit margin of pickup trucks ranks among the top among automobile products, and some companies have hard reasons to relocate the pickup truck market.
However, it is necessary to pour some cold water on the warm-up pickup market. First, pickups that sell well abroad are not cheap mid-to-high-end brands and products. For a long time in the domestic market, only mid-to-low-end pickup models should be available, and the sudden consumption Upgrading, domestic brands are not fully prepared. Although pickup truck models have begun to appear on the hot new energy track, Tesla’s electric pickup truck has received more than one million deposits. If the domestic market is also launched, it may be worrying about the target model. From a functional point of view, the demand point and future growth of pickup trucks are indeed worth looking forward to, but it is too ideal to expect pickup trucks to replace a certain SUV market share. Second, even in the township market where high expectations are placed, vans, tractors, tricycles, especially electric tricycles have occupied a lot of space suitable for pickups, and even more cost-effective, if you consider details such as decommissioning sites, fuel consumption, and maneuverability, Pickup trucks that only focus on “skinny, durable, and sufficient horsepower” may not have these products.
Too many practical problems have made pickups a considerable distance from the mainstream of the car industry, but it is still a segment that is expected to explode. The Great Wall pickups with deep accumulation and one step ahead are currently enjoying great popularity. Domestic brands such as Changan, Wuling and Geely also have the opportunity to show their talents on this stage. Who can truly create a “people’s pickup”, the competition may have just begun.