- Ford CEO Jim Farley drove BYD Shark and GWM Cannon Alpha pickups.
- He calls the Shark competitive, but says it can’t match Ranger capability.
- Chinese brands are changing global midsize pickup market outside the US.
Ford CEO Jim Farley recently spent a few days sampling something very different from the usual Blue Oval lineup. During a visit to Australia, he climbed behind the wheel of Chinese plug in hybrid pickups including the BYD Shark 6 and the GWM Cannon Alpha. And his conclusion was refreshingly honest.
Farley didn’t dismiss the trucks outright. In fact he admitted they’re surprisingly competitive. But it all depends on how you plan to use them.
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“I spent three days driving Land Cruiser 70s, the Shark, the Great Wall product,” Ford’s boss told Australian media. “They’re different. They’re totally different animals.”
According to Farley, who in 2024 said he was enjoying driving a Xiaomi SU7 long-term test car so much he didn’t want to give it back, the BYD looks like a typical pickup until you start asking it to behave like one.
“The Shark is a ute, but if you put 500 kg (1,100 lbs) in the back, it’s not a Ranger, it’s not a HiLux,” Drive reports him saying.
Lifestyle Trucks, Not Work Trucks
Photos Brad Anderson / Carscoops
Farley’s point is that the Shark might work well for buyers who want the look of a pickup but don’t regularly load it with heavy gear or tow serious weight. And that’s a potential problem for Ford because he knows not every Ranger owner actually uses the truck the way Ford engineers designed it.
Review: BYD Shark 6 Is Faster Than A Ranger Raptor, And That’s Only Half The Surprise
“For someone who doesn’t do that every day and they want electrification, it’s a pretty competitive product,” he said.
Magical Math
One thing continues to puzzle him though. Farley admitted Ford engineers have already torn down the BYD pickup to understand how it works and they still struggle to make sense of the economics.
“I have no idea how they make money when we tear it apart,” he joked.
Farley also tested the GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV and said it’s another solid competitor entering the space. Still he believes companies like Ford and Toyota maintain a big advantage thanks to decades of experience building work trucks.
“They haven’t been doing it like our Ranger or the Hilux for decades,” Farley said. “They don’t have all the chassis knowhow, all the towing and payload, and all the experience.”
Can’t Ignore The Threat
Even so the Ford chief admits the market is changing fast. Chinese brands are now aggressively targeting the global mid size pickup segment, a category that has traditionally been one of the industry’s most reliable profit generators.
More: Ford CEO Suddenly Reopens The Door To A New Falcon Ute
Which means the competition isn’t just coming. In many markets, like Australia, it’s already here. America is safe on its own soil for now, but there’s no guarantee the situation will be the same 10 years down the line, by which time China’s trucks might have improved to the point where they can handle hard work too.
Photos Brad Anderson / Carscoops