BYD Shark 6 price and details
Powerful plug-in hybrid ute undercuts rivals such as the Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger while offering more tech.
BYD’s electrified Shark 6 Ute will undercut big name brands by thousands while delivering an all-electric driving range of about 80km.
The new plug-in hybrid ute – the first of what is shaping up to be many making their way Down Under – is priced from $57,900 plus on-road costs.
That’s a few thousand dollars less than the popular Toyota HiLux SR5 dual-cab (from $60,670) and Ford Ranger Sport (from $66,140).
Like those two it underwent local testing and development, with BYD saying it covered more than 100,000km.
Whereas circa-$60,000 Rangers and HiLux come with a basic level of equipment, the Shark 6 comes with the sort of gear sometimes reserved for luxury vehicles.
That includes heated and ventilated front seats, a head-up display, synthetic leather trim and a 12-speaker sound system.
There’s also a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster and 15.6-inch central infotainment screen.
In launching the Shark 6 the CEO of Australian importer EV Direct, David Smitherman, said enquiry had been significantly higher than expected.
“Over 20,000 people have expressed an interest in the Shark 6,” he said in the afternoon outback heat.
“In my 25 years in the car industry I’ve never seen interest like this in a new vehicle.”
The Shark 6’s big differentiator lies beneath the skin.
Instead of the diesel engine Aussies have embraced in their utes the BYD is powered by a plug-in hybrid system.
It pairs electricity with a petrol engine with the idea of offering the best of both worlds.
Two electric motors – one for the front wheels, the other for the rear – provide most of the driving power and help accelerate the Shark 6 to 100km/h in as little as 5.7 seconds.
A 29.58kWh battery provides about 80km of electric range, allowing owners to complete daily driving off electricity.
There’s also a 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbocharged engine that acts as a generator, in turn extending the overall range to about 800km.
It’s that plug-in hybrid system Smitherman believes will make the Shark 6 popular with fleets and government departments trying to lower their CO2 emissions.
”I’m expecting fleet orders from tonight,” he said, adding that BYD can track online orders in real time.
The local pricing announcement for the Shark 6 took place at Mount Gipps Station on the outskirts of Broken Hill in western NSW.
As well as senior BYD Australia executives there were executives from China, including BYD general manager of Asia Pacific sales Liu Xueliang.
Entertainment for the outback bash was provided by Australian singer Daryl Braithwaite.
It was live streamed to six BYD dealerships around the country, including Brisbane, Newcastle, Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth.
BYD says 2000 cars will arrive on the first boatload of Shark 6s, which are due to be delivered to customers by early 2025 (there’s a chance some could hit the road late in 2024).
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