Chinese car maker unveils Tesla Cybertruck knockoff

In a bold but very Chinese move, Dongfeng, one of China's leading automakers has revealed its latest innovation, and it eerily resembles Tesla’s iconic Cybertruck. The car dubbed the “2024 Concept Pickup Truck” was unveiled during the 2024 Beijing auto show.

Sporting a sleek, silver metal body, Dongfeng's concept pickup truck comes with a pop-out tent over a mattress in its cargo bed positioned above the back wheels similar to the Cybertruck. However, the real giveaway is the car’s distinctive 'sledgehammer' design with a blunt, wedge-shaped front. The vehicle also features a full-length rear LED to communicate messages to other motorists.

The unveiling of Dongfeng's Cybertruck doppelgänger coincides with Tesla's recent woes including the recall of over 4,000 Cybertrucks due to safety concerns related to the accelerator pedal cover. The cover has been found to detach and get caught on the carpet, immobilizing the pedals and causing the vehicle to get stuck at high speeds.

The Chinese will be looking to leverage billions in electric vehicle (EV) subsidies provided by the Chinese government, to offer their vehicle at a lower cost than Tesla would.

Not that there’s a chance that the two vehicles will be competing in the market anytime soon. The Chinese truck is still a concept and Elon Musk has previously shared that it would be “very difficult” to have his Cybertruck declared road-worthy in the Asian country.

It’s still concerning considering that China is Tesla’s biggest market outside the US.

Dongfeng, based in Wuhan, is known for its collaborations with foreign automakers such as Honda, Nissan, and Peugeot, which has enabled it to sell over 2 million cars every year.

The interior of the truck was not shown during the exhibition so we cannot currently reveal how it compared with the Tesla cybertruck.