Ford CEO Jim Farley drove Chinese pickup trucks for three days and admitted they are more competitive than he would like
Published on Mar 23, 2026 at 12:22 AM (UTC+4)
by Ben Thompson
Last updated on Mar 19, 2026 at 7:16 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Emma Matthews
When Ford CEO Jim Farley spent three days driving Chinese hybrid pickup trucks, he came to one unavoidable conclusion – these aren’t to be underestimated.
While down in Australia, Farley got behind the wheel of several Chinese pickups, including the BYD Shark 6 and the GWM Cannon Alpha.
But this was no mere PR exercise.
He had some honest thoughts about the cars, which he shared with the media.
Click the star icon next to supercarblondie.com in Google Search to stay ahead of the curve on the latest and greatest supercars, hypercars, and ground-breaking technology
What Jim Farley had to say after driving some Chinese pickup trucks
There’s been a lot of talk in recent years about cars coming out of China, as Western companies find themselves pondering whether they need to up their game.
Importing a Chinese EV into the US is notoriously difficult, but there’s no guarantee that it can be delayed forever.
With 70 percent of US auto executives expressing concern about Chinese EVs, it’s clear that some worry is on the rise.
And if these executives were reading the Australian press recently, their fears wouldn’t have been eased.
After driving BYD Shark 6 and the GWM Cannon Alpha on his trip in Australia, Jim Farley told the country’s press that Chinese trucks were ‘different animals’ and ‘surprisingly competitive’.
But he’s not totally at panic stations yet, as he maintained that companies like Ford and Toyota still had a big advantage thanks to decades of experience.
“They haven’t been doing it, like our Ranger or the Hilux, for decades,” Farley said.
“They don’t have all the chassis know-how, all the towing and payload, and all the experience.”
This is a contrast to a previous statement in which he described feeling ‘humbled’ by the country’s EV output.
The Ford CEO has been outspoken about Chinese cars in the past
Farley has spoken out before about the matter of China’s cars, warning that Chinese EV makers like BYD and Xiaomi were ‘completely dominating’ the market.
He’s also admitted to taking apart a Chinese EV in order to learn more about it – and coming to a stark realization.
It’s not just him who is waking up to the changing landscape of the automotive world.
A lot of people are taking notice, from the CEO of General Motors to your average Joe in Massachusetts.
DISCOVER SBX CARS: The global premium car auction platform powered by Supercar Blondie
Following stints at LadBible, The Sun, The New York Post, and the Daily Mail, Ben joined the team full-time in February 2025. In his role as Senior Content Writer, his sparkling copy, the ability to sniff out a good story at 100 paces, and a GSOH quickly led to him becoming an integral and invaluable member of the writing staff.
