A new ute from Chinese manufacturer BYD will take on Toyota’s Hilux and Ford Ranger when it launches later this year.
The Shark 6 will be Australia’s first plug-in hybrid 4×4 vehicle and will be launched just ahead of Ford’s Ranger PHEV, which is scheduled to launch in 2025.
The Shark 6 combines a 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder gasoline engine with two electric motors and a 29.6 kWh battery.
This configuration provides an all-electric driving range of up to 100 km and an overall hybrid range of about 800 km.
The ute is expected to be competitively priced to take on its rivals, with a starting price of under $60,000 before on-road costs.
“If you drive this vehicle like I do between the Blue Mountains and Sydney every day, you won’t have to put fuel in the vehicle,” explained David Smitherman, CEO of Australian importer EVDirect.
—And what effect does that have on the average Australian family? It probably saves them $150 a week because the Utes are very thirsty and they are also pretty loud.
“There will be a lot of people who will just drive it as a pure electric vehicle, the average Australian drives 33km a day, this will eat it up.”
The new Shark 6 plug-in hybrid (PHEV) from Chinese manufacturer BYD (pictured) is expected to be priced under $60,000.
The BYD Shark 6 has a combined range of about 800 km, with an all-electric range of about 100 km.
The 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine functions primarily as a generator to power the electric motors.
The Shark 6’s towing capacity is 2500kg, less than its diesel rivals.
“Yesterday we drove from Melbourne to Broken Hill, covering about 1,000 kilometers on a single tank of fuel,” Mr Smitherman said.
“With four great drivers in the car, the performance was impressive. The vehicle has great technology, including a huge touch screen, and is quiet and super fast, going from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.7 seconds.’
Smitheran responded to concerns that Australians who drove a traditional diesel-powered ute looked down on the vehicle.
“This is fantastic, much better than the old noisy diesel,” he said.
‘This vehicle is going to change Australia. Now we finally have a choice. It has all the features you need.
“Another great feature is its four power outlets, so you can charge your batteries at the workplace or enjoy camping with the kids on the weekend.”
Orders will be open from October 29 through BYD’s website and its dealer network.
In 2023, BYD sold more new energy vehicles (including electric and hybrid models) globally than Tesla.