Last year, BYD and Geely were the only two Chinese automakers to firmly establish themselves among the planet’s top 10 largest car manufacturers by volume. By 2030, fellow Chinese brand Changan aims to join them and grow its global sales by more than two-thirds.

Heading into the Beijing Auto Show, Changan Automobile says it is aiming for 5 million annual sales by 2030, with a fallback target of 4 million if conditions tighten. Reaching the higher figure would make it the world’s fifth-largest carmaker based on 2025 volumes, putting it ahead of Ford at 4.4 million, Honda at 3.5 million, and Nissan at 3.2 million. The plan leans heavily on electrification, with plug-in hybrids and battery-electric models expected to account for 60% of total sales.

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The key to Changan’s desired growth will be overseas markets. Last year, it sold 638,000 vehicles outside China, but by 2030, it aims to increase this figure to between 1.4 million and 1.8 million units. Among the brands currently operated by Changan include Nevo, Deepal, Volga, Avatr, and Kaicene, while it also has joint ventures with Mazda and Ford.

Chinese Rivals Could Also Climb The Charts

Of course, Changan isn’t the only Chinese carmaker that wants to see more sales in the coming years. Geely, which ended 2025 as the world’s eighth largest car manufacturer with 4.12 million vehicles, is targeting 6.5 million sales in 2030. Additionally, BYD will be pushing for more sales, although it hasn’t announced a set target for 2030, Reuters notes.

New technologies will play a part in Changan’s sales growth. The car manufacturer is gearing up to launch a pair of all-electric sedans using advanced sodium-ion batteries. As sodium-ion batteries are far cheaper to produce than existing lithium-ion batteries, these models could usher in a new era of even more ultra-affordable EVs in China. Most other major Chinese car companies are also developing sodium-ion batteries, including Geely and BYD.

Mazda isn’t ruling out a possible entry into the super-pickup sphere with a 600 hp (440kW) offering, but there’s a big caveat. If it does move forward, the result would be anything but a traditional Mazda. The idea, at least in its early form, centers on a rapid rebadge of the Deepal E07 transforming truck from China. Picture something closer to a Cybertruck-style ute than anything currently wearing a Mazda badge.

Changan, Deepal’s parent company, already maintains a close working relationship with Mazda. Through their joint venture in China, the Mazda 6e (also known as the EZ-6) sedan is produced by Changan and based on the Deepal L07. The upcoming Mazda CX-6e (EZ-60) SUV will also be manufactured in China.

Another Chinese-Based EV

The timing makes sense. Electric and plug-in hybrid pickups have been garnering more attention in markets like Australia, where buyers are in search of something functional, yet at the same time want something exciting to drive around. The fact that powerful pickups have a great amount of interest has already been shown by other manufacturers, such as BYD with the Shark 6, and the plug-in hybrid Ford Ranger.

Read: Mazda Admits It Learned From China, And Its Future EVs Will Show It

While Mazda has made its reputation for efficiency and clever engineering, especially with its Skyactiv technology, they don’t have an in-house developed ute or pickup, with the BT-50 workhouse based on the Isuzu D-Max. It would also do no harm to Mazda’s overall EV lineup, while offering a way to offset CO2 penalties.

But a ute producing about 600 hp (440 kW) would take things in a very different direction. While it’s not a current priority, Hiroshi Ozawa, General Manager of the Changan Mazda Automobile Technical Development Center, won’t rule out the possibility.

“My personal view is that Deepal E07 that pick up, the truck [that] opens up, it’s a very interesting vehicle,” said Ozawa, speaking to Carsales. “I like that kind of vehicle… In Australia I think customers may also like the kind of vehicle.”

Is The E07’s Time Now?

The Deepal E07 hasn’t had much attention outside of China, but it is already available in Australia, as well as other parts of South Asia. To bring you up to speed, it’s not a pickup in the traditional sense. The E07 is dubbed by the brand as a “transformer,” able to operate as both an SUV and a pickup, with a retractable glass portion revealing a bed.

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It can be configured in either a single-motor rear-wheel-drive layout or an all-wheel-drive dual-motor version. Both versions are powered by a 90kWh battery, with a claimed range of up to 550km. That top-spec dual-motor AWD version can dispatch 0-100 km/h (0-96 mph) in just 3.9 seconds thanks to its 440 kW (590 hp) output.

At this stage, there’s no official word on whether the E07 will be getting the green light as a Mazda. Still, the fact that the company is openly discussing the potential of super ute shows that it’s thinking outside of its usual boundaries.

Photos Deepal, Deepal Australia, Deepal YouTube