Rely

The story of the Rely brand dates back to 2009. At that time, Chery had gained a foothold in the Chinese market with the QQ model, but its price ceiling had long hovered around the 100,000 RMB level, and it urgently needed to break through the bottleneck of brand elevation. In March 2009, Chery officially launched the two mid-to-high-end brands, Riich and Rely, in Shanghai, where Riich focused on high-end sedans and Rely focused on mid-to-high-end all-round commercial vehicles (including SUVs and MPVs). In the same year, Rely Automobile Sales Co., Ltd. was established, specialising in the sales of the two brands. Rely's first product was the crossover touring MPV Rely V5, positioned as a large-space family MPV, with a guide price of approximately 90,000 to 140,000 RMB; the second model was the compact SUV Rely X5, adopting a body-on-frame design and part-time 4WD system, priced at approximately 160,000 RMB; additionally, the Rely H-series commercial vehicles were launched, targeting the public and business reception market. To demonstrate technical strength, Chery once sent the Riich G5 to the Nürburgring Nordschleife in Germany to set a lap time, creating history with a time of 8 minutes 56.81 seconds for a Chinese brand, but Rely brand models did not receive similar exposure support.

The confusion in brand layout and ambiguity in product definition quickly manifested in sales data. After a brief "good start" in 2010, Rely sales declined continuously. By 2012, Rely's annual sales were fewer than 3,000 units. That year, strategic consulting firm Roland Berger submitted a research report to Chery, concluding that the multi-brand strategy had not only failed to enhance the brand image but had also dragged down enterprise development owing to high brand expenses. In the second half of the same year, Chery announced the restructuring of its brand architecture, with Riich and Rely being "hidden," and the multi-brand strategy was declared a failure. Qilin Company was dissolved, and Rely brand models were reassigned to Chery's sales network; the brand has since entered a silence lasting over a decade.

On 20 April 2025, Chery held the RELY Rely pickup truck brand launch event at the site of the Wuhu Old Shipyard, and Chairman Yin Tongyue announced the restart of the Rely brand. The brand positioning was completely switched from "mid-to-high-end commercial vehicles" to "Global Pickup Truck Intelligent Ecosystem Brand," proposing the brand mission of "Becoming a value benchmark for global new energy and intelligent pickup trucks." In June 2025, Rely made its global premiere in Beijing; in August, at the Chengdu International Auto Show, Rely appeared with the "Rely Kaitian Platform" and three new cars—the Rely P3X, Rely P2X, and Rely R08—and officially began pre-sales. In September 2025, the brand's first mass-produced model, the Rely R08, was officially launched, with an official guide price starting from 88,800 RMB. In January 2026, the Rely R08 EV pure electric version launched six models officially. In April 2026, the Rely R08 PRO was launched simultaneously in the Chinese and Aus-NZ markets. In the fourth quarter of the same year, the world's first diesel hybrid pickup truck, the Rely P3X, is planned to officially enter mass production and launch.

Brand Matrix / Product Line

The product system after Rely's restart focuses on pickup trucks, planning to cover the full spectrum of fuel, pure electric, and hybrid powertrains, achieving a three-dimensional product ecosystem of "All Scenarios, All Powertrains, All People." The brand plans to gradually build four product matrices over the next four years, at a rhythm of one product series per year, forming 16 differentiated combinations covering eight major core scenarios.

The Rely R08 (Fuel and Pure Electric) is the first mass-produced model after the restart, positioned as a mid-size pickup truck, officially launched in September 2025. The fuel version is equipped with a 2.3T diesel and 2.4-litre petrol engine, with an official guide price starting from 88,800 RMB. The pure electric version, the R08 EV, was launched in January 2026, priced from 127,800 to 158,800 RMB, adopting a body-on-frame chassis, with L2 driver assistance as standard across the range, and higher trims equipped with the 8155 chip and a 15.6-inch large screen. The R08 EV achieved sales of ten thousand units from launch to the end of 2025. The R08 PRO was launched in April 2026, further enriching the product sequence. The Rely P3X is the brand's flagship intelligent hybrid pickup, equipped with the industry's first mass-produced 2.5T diesel hybrid dedicated engine, with thermal efficiency reaching 47%, achieving the industry's lowest fuel consumption of 6L when the battery is depleted. The P3X bears the core mission of Rely's global strategy and is the main model that will compete alongside Ford and Toyota pickups in the future, planned for mass production in the fourth quarter of 2026. The Rely P2X is positioned as a compact pickup, filling the product gap between the R08 and P3X. In addition, Rely is simultaneously launching camping versions, touring versions, and other modified vehicle models.

Rely's technical foundation is the industry's first all-scenario pickup intelligent technology platform—the Rely Kaitian Platform—which, through deeply integrated AI-driven electronic electrical architecture (EEA), industry-first diesel hybrid technology, intelligent chassis systems, and four-dimensional synergy of pickup-exclusive intelligent scenario experiences, builds a pickup technology ecosystem covering all-terrain conditions, all energy forms, and all scenario needs.

Models from the original Rely era were discontinued and delisted after 2012. The Rely V5 was positioned as a 7-seater MPV, equipped with 1.8L/2.0L petrol engines and a 1.9TDDI diesel engine, with a length of 4662mm and a wheelbase of 2800mm, featuring headlight delay, intelligent overtaking lights, and other configurations. The Rely X5 was positioned as a compact SUV—a hardcore model with a body-on-frame design and part-time 4WD, equipped with the ACTECO 2.0TCI turbocharged engine, with maximum power of 125kW and peak torque of 235Nm, mated to a 5-speed manual transmission; the 4WD luxury model was additionally equipped with DVD and GPS. The Rely H Series Commercial Vehicles included the H3 and H5, with the H5 having a length of 5410mm and a wheelbase of 3110mm, offering 8-seater and 9-seater layouts, equipped with the 2.0TCI engine; the business version added luxury seats, a car refrigerator, a bar counter, and other configurations.

Market Performance

The market performance after Rely's restart has been extremely impactful. From the launch of its first model in September 2025 to the end of 2025—in less than four months—Rely achieved sales of ten thousand units, most of which came from the overseas market. The R08 EV broke 10,000 sales in just over three months since launch, quickly securing a place in the new energy pickup market, with electricity costs of less than 0.1 RMB per kilometre, and three-year usage costs saving approximately 100,000 RMB compared to fuel vehicles.

According to Zhang Jiaming, General Manager of the Brand Division, in the first year of the R08 EV launch, the ratio between B-side (enterprise procurement) and C-side (personal consumption) is expected to be 1:1, with the C-side proportion increasing rapidly. The brand's C-side consumption will prioritise deployment in regions such as Hainan, Guangdong, and Zhejiang, where pickup policies are open and new energy acceptance is high. According to the plan, the brand aims to achieve an annual sales volume of 300,000 units for the pickup business alone by 2030, becoming one of the core contributors to Chery Commercial Vehicle's 1-million-unit grand target.

Sales volume in the original Rely era was extremely limited. Annual sales in 2012 were fewer than 3,000 units, and the brand was hidden after surviving for less than five years in practice.

Core Technologies

Rely's technology system fully relies on Chery Group's R&D accumulation and global resource integration. In engine technology, Rely independently developed the country's first mass-produced 2.5T diesel hybrid dedicated engine, with thermal efficiency reaching 47%, achieving the industry's lowest fuel consumption of 6L when the battery is depleted and an ultra-long range of over 1,400 km. This engine can start within 1 second in an environment of minus 30 degrees Celsius, effectively solving industry pain points such as low-temperature start and DPF blockage. In the pure electric technology field, the Rely R08 EV relies on Chery's million-level new energy passenger car three-electric technology accumulation, equipped with a DMS system and a vector motor drive system, with electricity costs of less than 0.1 RMB per kilometre. In terms of intelligent driving, Rely series models are equipped with L2 driver assistance as standard. The Falcon Intelligent Driving System has covered L2.9 to L3-level intelligent driving functions, relying on Chery's 7,000-person autonomous driving R&D team to continuously iterate and optimise scenario adaptation capabilities. In terms of vehicle architecture, Rely is based on a body-on-frame chassis design, with cargo capacity increased by 40% compared to traditional pickups, adopting chassis tuning and intelligent cockpit configurations based on passenger car standards.

The Rely Kaitian Platform deeply integrates AI-driven electronic electrical architecture (EEA), supports whole-vehicle OTA upgrades, and provides a unified technical foundation for various powertrain forms, such as diesel hybrid, pure electric, and fuel. Engine technology from the original Rely era all originated from the Chery ACTECO series: the X5 was equipped with a 2.0TCI turbocharged engine, and the V5 offered 1.8L and 2.0L naturally aspirated and 1.9TDDI diesel options.

Global Footprint

The Rely brand established a "Born Global" strategic positioning from the outset of its planning. Zhang Jiaming, General Manager of the Brand Division, clearly stated: "Rely will achieve full coverage of fuel, hybrid, and pure electric powertrains, while entering global markets such as the Middle East, Southeast Asia, South Central America, Aus-NZ, Europe, and beyond, based in China and aiming for the world." The Rely R08 series has a high proportion of overseas orders. As of early 2026, it has entered over 30 countries and regions worldwide. Gong Yueqiong, Vice President of Chery Holding Group, revealed that after the Rely R08 EV launch, it will immediately enter the South American market, and the ratio of overseas sales to domestic sales for the brand will reach 2:1. The brand plans to enter the European market in 2027, reshaping the global pickup competitive landscape with high-end new energy intelligent pickup trucks.

Behind Rely's global expansion is the strong support of Chery's globalisation system. Chery Group has sales networks and business operations in over 110 countries and regions worldwide, having accumulated a user base of approximately 18 million, which provides Rely with continuous support for overseas expansion—from sales channels and after-sales networks to brand trust. In 2025, after Rely launched its first model, the overseas market responded enthusiastically, and order delivery was once in short supply. The target ratio of future overseas sales to domestic sales is 2:1, meaning that Rely will become a pickup brand dominated by exports, forming, alongside Great Wall, BYD, and other domestic brands, a Chinese presence in the global pickup market.

Future Outlook

The Rely brand has drawn a clear roadmap for development from the second half of 2026 to 2030. At the product level, the second half of 2026 will see the global first mass production of the Rely P3X diesel hybrid, which the brand positions as a flagship product that will "comprehensively surpass" Ford and Toyota's equivalent pickups. At the same time, the brand will continue to perfect its four major product matrices—the R08 Fuel, R08 Pure Electric, P3X Diesel Hybrid, and P2X Compact Pickup—launching successively in the market, covering the tool vehicle, home-business dual-use, and home leisure markets comprehensively. In terms of overseas deployment, while consolidating the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and South Central America markets, Rely will enter the European market in 2027 and complete deep penetration of the Aus-NZ market according to schedule. On the new energy strategy, Rely adheres to the dual-track approach of "Pure Electric + Diesel Hybrid": the pure electric version focuses on passenger-level energy consumption and intelligence, while the diesel hybrid version creates a new pathway for global diesel power decarbonisation, forming differentiated competitive advantages. At the ecosystem construction level, Rely launched the "Qilin Power Ecosystem Alliance," integrating external resources such as drones, modified parts, and camping equipment, collaborating with global users to jointly create over 100 cross-border scenario solutions within three years, promoting the horizontal extension of pickups from tool vehicles to intelligent wealth-creation ecosystem platforms. At the technology platform level, the Rely Kaitian Platform will continue to iterate and upgrade, planning further breakthroughs in fields such as AI deep learning algorithms, battery management, and high-voltage platforms, to provide superior three-electric performance for subsequent pure electric pickup products. At the sales target level, Chery Commercial Vehicle has established the strategic goal of achieving 1 million units in sales by 2030, among which the Rely pickup business will undertake an annual sales target of 300,000 units, striving to let global users see and recognise the "unique value of Chinese pickups."