BYD Shark: lightning-fast pick-up with a lot of electric power

Of course, you only know BYD in the Netherlands for its electric cars. In its home country of China, however, the brand also has various models with combustion engines on the menu, cars that are more than once equipped with a plug-in hybrid drivetrain. In Mexico, BYD has now introduced the Shark: a brand new pick-up. Although more and more pickups are rapidly becoming available in the pick-up world and BYD is quite skilled when it comes to EVs, the Shark is not completely electric. What is it? A plug-in hybrid. And a quick one too.

BYD Shark

The BYD Shark is a plug-in hybrid pick-up with a 1.5-liter blown petrol engine and two electric motors, one for each axle. The system power is ‘more than’ 430 hp. The BYD Shark must be able to sprint from a standstill to a speed of 100 km/h in 5.7 seconds. The total range: 840 kilometers, although you have to settle for a range of 100 kilometers on electric power alone. The capacity of the Blade Battery is not yet known. Please note: these are somewhat enthusiastic NEDC figures. According to BYD, the Shark should be able to cover 80 percent of its kilometers electrically with ‘average daily use’. More figures: the BYD Shark can tow up to 2,500 kilos, has a payload of 835 kilos and has a cargo box that can store 1,450 liters of stuff.

Especially for the design of the lighting at both the front and rear, BYD seems to have gained some inspiration from the Ford F-150. The Shark is 5.46 meters long, 1.97 meters wide and 1.93 meters high. Its wheelbase: 3.26 meters. Like several other BYDs, the Shark also has a rotating infotainment screen with a diagonal of 12.8 inches. Behind the steering wheel we find a 10.25-inch instrument cluster. The large island of buttons housed in the center tunnel is striking.

The BYD Shark is not only intended for the Mexican market, but it is not yet known whether the car will also come to Europe.