BYD won’t be launching an electric (EV) version of its plug-in hybrid (PHEV) Shark 6 ute anytime soon, with the brand ruling it out for the foreseeable future.
The Shark 6’s PHEV powertrain makes it one of the quickest and most environmentally friendly utes on the market, and BYD believes there’s little to gain by axing combustion power from the mix.
“Currently we haven’t considered a pure-electric version,” Liu Xueliang, general manager of BYD’s Asia Pacific sales division, told Australian media through a translator.
“Based on performance and based on range, we feel like currently PHEV is best for Shark 6. We believe PHEVs are equivalent to electric cars.
“At least currently, we’re not considering it.”
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David Smitherman, the CEO of BYD’s Australian distributor EVDirect, is more optimistic about the possibility of an EV Shark.
“At some point, but not right now,” said Mr Smitherman.
“There’s an enormous amount of new products coming, and I put my hand up for all of them.
“If we want to be serious in this market, we need to have a product in every segment.”
The Shark 6 arrives on the ute scene exclusively as a PHEV. The first customer deliveries are expected in December 2024 or January 2025.
It’s powered by a turbocharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, plus two electric motors (one on each axle), and a 29.58kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery pack.
The powertrain produces total outputs of 321kW and 650Nm, sent to all four wheels.
BYD claims an electric-only driving range of 100km (NEDC), and the Shark 6 is claimed to sip as little as 2.0L/100km when running as a hybrid with the battery charged. In terms of C02 emissions, it produces just 46 grams of C02 per kilometre.
Electric utes are a rarity in Australia. The LDV eT60 is currently the only option, but Isuzu has confirmed it’ll introduce its D-Max EV here.
The LDV eT60 is priced at $92,990 before on-road costs, with a single 130kW/310Nm electric motor and 330km of driving range (WLTP tested).
MORE: Everything BYD Shark 6
