REO’s $21,500 Pickup Target Faces a Production Test as BYD Dolphin Draws Praise

REO is pitching a rare combination: a small gasoline pickup, four-wheel drive, a manual transmission and a target starting price of $21,500. The BYD Dolphin raises a different buyer question: a driver who tried two versions in Europe liked their affordability and everyday usability, but sees no straightforward route to bringing them to the United States. Both stories turn on the gap between an appealing product idea and what buyers can actually get.

REO’s idea is appealing; the proof still has to come

REO Industries is a new company using the name of the original REO Motor Car Company, founded by Ransom E. Olds in 1905. That earlier business became known for trucks, including the REO Speed Wagon. The current startup is proposing a new small, body-on-frame pickup called the Runabout, with three planned versions: the two-seat T4X, four-door T4C and S4C SUV.

The proposed formula leans toward mechanical simplicity. REO says the vehicles will use a naturally aspirated gasoline four-cylinder engine, mechanical four-wheel drive and a choice of six-speed manual or automatic transmission. The T4X’s target starting price is $21,500. The company also targets about 600 miles per tank, 4,500 pounds of towing capacity and a powertrain designed to last 500,000 miles.

REO’s planned cabin follows the same back-to-basics pitch: physical switches, levers and rocker controls, analog gauges, plus a small screen for diagnostics and Apple CarPlay. The company says owners should be able to service the truck themselves, with a public parts catalog and no software lock on replacement parts. For buyers tired of controls buried in screens, that approach has an obvious appeal. The practical test will be whether the finished truck delivers that simplicity without compromising day-to-day usability.

The price is the harder part to assess. A $21,500 target for a four-wheel-drive truck with the listed equipment and capability is a striking proposition, but the source offers no production vehicle or detailed cost breakdown to show how REO expects to reach it. A target price can help explain the company’s ambition; it can’t establish what a production model will cost.

REO has opened reservations for $25 and says the payment is fully refundable. Its stated schedule calls for production-design details in November 2026, pilot builds and validation in 2027, ordering in 2028, and first deliveries targeted for late 2028 or 2029. Those are company targets. The reservation agreement says a reservation does not guarantee a vehicle, its price, specifications or delivery.

That distinction matters because showing a prototype is only one step toward building cars for customers. The source points to Alpha Motors’ Wolf pickup as a caution: a running prototype has been shown, but that alone doesn’t establish a production vehicle or an operating assembly line. For REO, the convincing evidence will be a production-intent truck that can be inspected and driven, followed by a factory demonstrably building vehicles.

Founder Zach De Bernardi has discussed the project in an interview with The Autopian, and REO has published its plans at its website. Those details make the proposal easier to understand, but the next milestones are what will show whether it can move from a compelling concept to a buyer-ready truck. The idea deserves attention; the production case still needs proof.

The Dolphin’s appeal meets a difficult import path

A reader who drove two BYD Dolphin versions in Europe came away impressed by their low prices and driving manners. One was the Dolphin Surf; the other was an even cheaper version. The reader describes both as among the least expensive fully electric cars available there, and says they drove better than the Chevrolet Bolt at home.

The reader estimates real-world range at around 200 miles, perhaps a little more with careful driving. That was enough for regular office trips over several months. Phone syncing and music playback worked for the owner, though the cabin was described as only barely comfortable. That’s a useful account of the car’s strengths and limits: an affordable small EV can suit routine commuting, while comfort and range expectations still depend on the driver’s needs.

Bringing the Dolphin to the United States would face substantial obstacles. The source says Chinese-built electric vehicles face tariffs exceeding 100%, with additional trade restrictions and concerns around connected-vehicle technology. Those costs and requirements could change the economics sharply, making a low-priced car much harder to sell at a comparable price here.

Local production has been raised as a possible route, but it wouldn’t make the hurdles disappear. The source describes significant oversight around electrical and connected systems, and says requirements would still apply even if a Chinese automaker assembled vehicles in the United States. Manufacturing here could also create jobs and activity among suppliers, but the article gives no confirmed production plan for the Dolphin.

The reader’s experience makes the car sound worth a closer look, especially for buyers seeking an inexpensive electric runabout. Still, a positive drive and a competitive European price don’t establish what a US version would cost, how it would be equipped, or whether it would arrive. For now, the Dolphin’s appeal is easier to see than a workable path to local availability.