BYD plans to launch Shark pickup in China sooner or later

BYD is planning to introduce the Shark hybrid pickup truck in the domestic Chinese market, following its launch in multiple overseas markets. BYD launched the Shark in Mexico on May 14, 2024 -- a rare instance of the automaker debuting a new model overseas before its home market

The Chinese New Energy Vehicle maker is planning to introduce the Shark hybrid pickup truck in the domestic Chinese market, following its launch in multiple overseas markets. Li Yunfei, general manager of brand and public relations at the Chinese new energy vehicle (NEV) maker, mentioned the plan yesterday while responding to a user's question about when the Shark would be launched domestically. "It's in the planning stages and will be launched sooner or later," Li said. Li, currently visiting Mexico, shared three images yesterday, one showing a Shark pickup in a showroom. 

BYD launched the Shark in Mexico on May 14, 2024 -- a rare instance of the automaker debuting a new model overseas before its home market. BYD is offering the Shark pickup in Mexico in two variants, the GL and GS, with starting prices of 899,980 Mexican pesos ($53,400) and 969,800 Mexican pesos, respectively. This decision partly stems from China's current policies, which are not favorable for pickup truck usage in urban areas, keeping such vehicles a niche market domestically. From January to August, pickup truck sales in Chinese market came in at 369,000 units, up 7 percent year-on-year. Cumulative sales of new energy pickup trucks during the same period totaled 49,000 units, surging 536 percent year-on-year. 

The Shark is built on BYD's DMO platform, where "O" stands for off-road and "DM" for dual mode. Its dimensions are 5,457 mm in length, 1,971 mm in width, and 1,925 mm in height, with a wheelbase of 3,260 mm. This pickup truck adopts a plug-in hybrid powertrain with a 1.5-liter turbocharged ICE and two electric motors: the front motor delivers a maximum power of 170 kW and peak torque of 310 Nm, while the rear motor produces 150 kW maximum power and 340 Nm peak torque. The BYD Shark's powertrain generates over 430 horsepower, accelerating from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.7 seconds with a top speed of 160 km/h. 

The model is powered by a blade battery pack with a capacity of 29.58 kWh and has an NEDC battery range of 100 kilometers and a combined NEDC range of 840 kilometers. The BYD Shark comes with a rotatable center screen and supports in-vehicle voice control, remote management of the vehicle, NFC digital key, and W-HUD (Heads Up Display) among other features. To date, beyond Mexico, the pickup has launched in markets including Brazil, Panama, Cambodia, Australia, and Pakistan. Throughout 2024, BYD exported 11,038 Shark pickups from China.