Man who bought electric mini-truck from China reveals how well it's held up after 18 months of use

  • This guy bought a cheap truck from Alibaba
  • He used it for 18 months in Florida
  • It did better than expected

Published on Jan 01, 2025 at 8:00 AM (UTC+4)
by Alessandro Renesis

Last updated on Jan 01, 2025 at 8:00 AM (UTC+4)
Edited by Tom Wood

Man who bought electric mini-truck from China reveals how well it's held up after 18 months of use

A man in Florida bought a super cheap electric truck from China on Alibaba called the Chang Li Explorer.

The truck only cost less than $2,000, and it arrived just as advertised.

It’s not street-legal, but that’s okay because the man didn’t want to use it on public roads anyway.

After 18 months, he’s now revealing what it was like living with the cheap truck, and it was better than expected.

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The Chang Li Explorer electric truck is actually rather good

The Chang Li Explorer is currently available from Alibaba for just $1,974.

It looks a bit odd, but it works, and according to Micah Toll, the man behind the purchase, the cheap electric truck is a lot better than expected.

He’s talked about the truck on his YouTube channel, EbikeSchool.com, and it’s fair to say his review was mostly positive.

In the clip, he explained that he bought the electric truck to use it as ‘a buggy’ around his property in Florida.

He said the small truck was perfect for that because it was agile, lightweight and, as it turns out, durable.

After 18 months of using it as a workhorse, the truck is still in good shape.

There’s a bit of rust here and there, but that’s not surprising in a warm, humid environment.

Buying from Alibaba can still be…problematic

Micah’s experience was mostly positive, as was our experience with the truck.

But some people aren’t so lucky.

Another YouTuber actually spent $31,000 on what was advertised as a ‘sportscar.

He got a cheap and not so cheerful city car instead.

He did get a refund in the end, but it cost him a headache, and it also cost him some money due to some weird and dodgy clauses on the part of the seller.

Alessandro is an automotive journalist with 10 years of experience covering supercars, automotive history, emerging vehicle technology, and luxury transportation. He wrote the first article published on SupercarBlondie.com when the website launched in 2022 and has since built a reputation for insightful reporting across the automotive and transportation industries. His expertise is grounded in hands-on experience. Alessandro has driven every Tesla model ever produced, from the original Roadster to the Cybertruck, and regularly covers the latest developments in electric vehicles and automotive innovation. His passion for transportation extends beyond cars, he has even flown a Boeing 787 Dreamliner simulator in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. His reporting spans everything from classic American muscle cars and rare automotive discoveries to luxury yachts, private aircraft, high-end watches, and cutting-edge vehicle technology. Known for his deep knowledge of automotive history and ability to uncover the stories behind iconic vehicles, Alessandro brings readers a blend of historical context, technical expertise, and first-hand experience.