This week, the 2024 BYD Shark was unveiled as a plug-in hybrid pickup with 500 miles of range, using both an electric motor and gas engine.
BYD, which stands for Build Your Dreams, is the Chinese company poised to shake up the automotive market with inexpensive EVs, such as the Seagull and the new Shark, and is already gathering a lot of attention.
What is the 2024 BYD Shark?
Unveiled in Mexico City, the BYD Shark is a midsize pickup truck with 62 miles of all-electric range. A 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine kicks in for the maximum 528 miles of range.
BYD says it will produce 430 horsepower, curiously no torque numbers were announced, and have a maximum payload of 1,841 pounds. It will go from 0-60 in 5.7 seconds and can tow up to 5,511 pounds.
The EV range is possible thanks to a 30-kWh battery. It will also support fast-charging with a CCS1 port, a rarity in plug-in hybrid vehicles here in the U.S.
According to Motor Trend, BYD said it will charge from 20% to 80% in about 30 minutes.
It will ride on BYD’s Dual Mode Off-Road Chassis, which enables an all-wheel drive system with a “virtual” differential to prevent wheel slip. This is likely done through software management controlling torque output to the wheels.
There will be three off-road modes: sand, snow and mud.
Designed like a shark?
The exterior design is meant to emulate the ocean animal it is named after with lots of bold lines and a strong looking front-end styling.
On the rear, it looks like LED tail lights will flank the BYD embossed tailgate.
It has a 128.3-inch wheelbase which is a little shorter than the smallest 2024 Toyota Tacoma with a 131.9-inch wheelbase. The longer Tacoma has a 145.1-inch wheelbase.
Inside the cabin, the designers used contrast stitching and colors to highlight items like air vents, seats, dashboard and door panels. A wide shifter sits right in the middle of the center console.
The center 12.8-inch screen dominates the center stack, and BYD says it will support Apple CarPlay and Android Auto in either portrait or landscape mode.
There is also a 10.25-inch screen for the driver dash and a 12-inch head-up display.
Pricing and availability
The 2024 BYD Shark will start at $53,440, and it will only be available outside of the United States. BYD says it currently has no plans to sell the Shark in the U.S. However, though the Shark will initially be built in China, BYD is looking for a plant location in Mexico, which could open the doors for future U.S. imports.
There will be two versions, a GL and GS, however, we have no details on what separates those trim levels. Reservations are open now and it will arrive in Mexico in the coming weeks.
The bottom line
With the U.S. President Biden putting a large tariff on Chinese-built EVs to protect U.S. automakers, don’t expect this to come to our market anytime soon. However, it is nice to see an automaker finally bring a PHEV pickup truck to market, and maybe the sales will be enough to convince U.S. automakers to follow suit.
