On the upcoming May 1st, the General Technical Conditions for Multi-Purpose Trucks will be implemented as a recommended standard. Previously, we have also deeply interpreted this new standard for pickup trucks, which is of great significance, giving a clear definition of "multi-purpose truck". As a basis for this definition, future truck restriction policies and regulations may be relaxed on this type of vehicle, as long as "except for multi-purpose trucks" is added to any rules and regulations that restrict trucks, basically all standard pickup restrictions can be waived.
Good is good, but any standard has imperfect considerations. Today we will talk about what needs more consideration in the new standard of pickup trucks.
1. There are no explicit rules for single-row pickups
First of all, we must look at the scope of application of this new standard for pickup trucks, which is clearly defined at the beginning of the regulations as "suitable for dual-row seat multi-purpose trucks". This is actually understandable, after all, the overall shape of most pickup trucks in China is now the crew cabin shape of double-row seats, and all aspects of the new standard are prepared for these models that occupy the vast majority of the pickup truck market.
However, with the gradual segmentation of the pickup truck market, more and more single-row pickup trucks will also appear, and there are already many existing products, such as the Great Wall Artillery, locomotive gun, Beijing F40 pickup truck and so on. In fact, the biggest difference between these pickups and double-row seat pickups is that there is only one row of seats in the cockpit, and some of the cargo box sizes will be larger, which may give people a more inclined use to pull goods, thus being "excluded" in the new regulations, and future management will still be bound by the rules of traditional trucks.
But in fact, there may be only a few people who really use this pickup truck to really pull goods. The reason is that although some models have a stronger loading capacity than a double-row pickup truck, if you really buy a car that can sit two people and have a huge cargo box, the cost performance and loading capacity of a single-row pickup truck are far less practical than that of micro trucks and micro faces. Therefore, the author speculates here that it is possible that users who buy single-row pickup trucks are not using it to reload, and more uses will be used for home use, loading some fun attributes of equipment, or towing, etc. This model should also be classified into "serious multi-purpose trucks".
2. Not a mandatory standard, just a recommended standard, it is inevitable that there will be a pickup truck that "wipes the edge ball"
I don't know if you have noticed that the code name of the upcoming "General Technical Conditions for Multi-purpose Trucks" is GB/T 40712-2021, and the previous GB/T means the recommended national standard. This also shows that this new standard for pickup trucks is not a mandatory national standard, and it does not have to be complied with. Car companies can launch pickup trucks that meet the new standards, and they can also launch models that do not meet the standards.
In the traditional pickup truck enterprises, the author expects that most manufacturers will launch models that meet the new standards, after all, most of them have participated in the formulation of this new standard, and they are willing to let the pickup truck market get better and better, and the management policy of pickup trucks is becoming more and more relaxed. And some companies that want to take advantage of the new standard dividend of pickup trucks may rely on this "east wind" to launch some pickup models that "wipe the edge ball" and make it difficult to distinguish whether they meet the new standards. In the later stage of publicity and sales, it may be sold under the guise of "complying with the new regulations", and it is the consumers who are unlucky in the end.
Therefore, the author hopes that this new standard for pickup trucks can be more perfect in the future, and can also be "promoted" to become a national mandatory standard at an early date, sorting out a clearer path for the domestic pickup truck market, and also contributing to the formation of China's pickup truck culture.
3. Follow-up relevant policies need to be truly implemented, especially to distinguish the sold multi-purpose trucks that meet the standards from other models
Readers familiar with the "General Technical Conditions for Multi-purpose Trucks" should understand that this standard actually gives a clear definition of multi-purpose trucks, and meeting this standard can be called multi-purpose trucks, and if it does not meet, it can only be excluded. That in the later implementation process, it is very important that there is a clear difference between the pickup truck that meets the standard and the model that does not meet the standard.
For example, according to the current stage of the new car registration process, there are many categories of pickup trucks: light multi-purpose trucks, light ordinary trucks, multi-purpose trucks... The types of pickup trucks around seem to be quite cluttered. If the new standard is implemented in the future, it is very important whether pickup trucks that meet the new standard can have a separate label at the time of registration, indicating that the car meets the new standard and is used to distinguish the previous pickup truck models. In the future, there may be a provision of "except for multi-purpose trucks" in the local truck restriction policy, so it is necessary to help pickup trucks that meet the new standards be exempted from the restriction based on the type of vehicle registered on the driving license.
Therefore, it is a good thing to have a new standard, but the follow-up management should also be followed up in time to avoid the embarrassing situation that there is only good news but cannot be used.
4. How to include purchased pickups in the new standard
After the implementation of the new standard for pickup trucks, the models introduced by manufacturers that meet the new standards are listed, and pickup truck consumers can definitely buy those pickup truck models that "meet the new standards". However, for the stock market with a huge number of sales, how to determine whether these pickup trucks comply with the new regulations has become a new and urgent problem to be solved. After all, the management policy can not only take care of the pickup truck models listed after the implementation of the new standard, but also the pickup trucks that are currently running on the road must also have corresponding care.
The question lies in this, in our previous articles related to the new standard of pickup trucks, there will always be such a voice: "In terms of the new standard, the pickup truck I have purchased meets this standard, can it be "certified" to become a pickup in the new standard of pickup trucks?" "There are not many such questions, which shows that for the pickup trucks sold, the management policy cannot ignore this large group."
However, if each sold pickup truck must find some institutions for relevant testing, and then be "certified" into a model that meets the new standards of pickup trucks, it is bound to cause a lot of duplication of labor, and the huge number will also cause headaches for relevant agencies. This requires pickup truck companies, policy makers and pickup truck users to coordinate and speak out to complete this difficult work.
Summary: "General Technical Conditions for Multi-purpose Trucks" is definitely a good thing for all pickup-related industries, it clarifies the definition of multi-purpose trucks, so that the policies launched in the future are more "standard" to rely on, which is very good for pickup trucks. However, the problems related to the emergence and legacy are actually more prominent and obvious, and cannot be ignored. However, the author believes that with the gradual improvement of laws and regulations, these problems will be solved.