Nissan's Electric Truck Beats Tesla and Rivian to Market Image

Nissan electric pickup truck with 250-mile range is here and this story is about how Nissan and Dongfent beat Tesla and Rivian in the electric truck segment. AJ McGinnis explains why Nissan needed Dongfeng to reveal the electric truck.

There has been talk of electric pickup trucks for years, but so far no manufacturer has managed to bring one to market. Both Tesla and Rivian have been teasing the U.S. with their plans for electric pickups, and even General Motors has flirted with the idea, but so far nothing concrete has been revealed. So it may be with no small amount of surprise to hear that Nissan has stepped in to fill the gap and joined forces with a Chinese manufacturer to launch the first fully electric pickup truck later this month.

But only in China.

Nissan and Dongfeng's Electric Pickup Truck

China's laws for electric vehicles are notoriously strict, and thanks to an aggressive zero-emission mandate, many automakers are scrambling to design and release all-electric vehicles for release within Chinese borders. Some manufacturers are actually producing electric vehicles only for the Chinese market.

Nissan joined up with the state-owned company DongFeng in order to meet legal requirements, and together they plan on releasing 20 new electric models to China by 2022. The newest model of note is the Dongfeng Rich 6 EV, an all-electric version of their existing gas-powered Dongfeng Rich pickup truck. Based on the original truck's platform, Nissan is converting it to an electric powertrain.

It is expected that the new Dongfeng Rich 6 EV will hit the market by the end of the month. While an exact price has not been released, it is not expected to be expensive: speculation puts the price at about 130,000 yuan ($18,900 USD) after subsidies.

Dongfeng Rich 6 EV Specs

Most of the information on the Dongfeng Rich 6 EV's specs come from a post on CarNewsChina's Facebook page.

The 160 hp motor of the Dongfeng Rich 6 EV will top out with a speed of about 68 mph (110 kph). Its 68 kWh battery will offer an NEDC range of about 250 miles (403 kilometers); it is prudent to keep in mind that the NEDC tends to be higher than the EPA expected range. Quick charge compatible, the pickup should be able to reach an 80 percent state-of-charge in about 45 minutes.

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Visually, the Dongfeng Rich 6 EV looks pretty good. While a little smaller than most U.S. pickups, it is still one of the largest available in China. The truck itself has a length of 208" (5.29 meters), a width of 73" (1.85 meters), and a height of 70" (1.79 meters), while the flatbed measures 59x61x18" (1.51x1.56x0.47 meters). The Rich 6 EV comes with a double cabin and five seats.

While the specs may not be particularly spectacular, some see its release as a test-run for electric pickups. It would not be too surprising to see Nissan release a beefier version of the Dongfeng Rich 6 EV to wider markets in a couple of years, just in time to compete with Tesla and Rivian's own electric pickup trucks.

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See you in our next story where we are discussing the purpose of Tesla Model 3's internal camera.

Written by AJ McGinnis.

Alex Guberman is the Editor of EforElectric.com and the publisher of E for Electric Youtube channel. Guberman is a long-time EV advocate covering industry wide news about electric cars. Guberman is also the administrator of one of the largest Tesla Groups on Facebook, called TESLA MODEL S Owners Club. Please, contact him on Twitter at @eforelectric and send him news tips for Torque News.