Chinese electric vehicle giant BYD is gearing up to launch the world premiere of its first-ever plug-in hybrid electric pickup truck, Shark, in Mexico on May 14.
BYD’s first new energy pickup to break cover this month
BYD will finally unveil the Shark plug-in hybrid electric pickup in Mexico on Tuesday, according to the company’s recent X post.
“BYD Shark, Hybrid Power, Wild Spirit.”
BYD indicated on Weibo
The imminent debut marks the first time in recent history that BYD introduced a new offering in a foreign market.
Implication of the imminent Mexican debut
BYD’s decision to hold the Shark’s global debut in Mexico implies that the plug-in hybrid electric pickup truck will primarily target foreign markets instead of China.
It is an unsurprising move, considering that China considers pickup trucks as light vans. Therefore, they face numerous regulatory constraints compared to typical passenger vehicles like sedans, SUVs, and MPVs. In fact, it is among the reasons why Tesla has not launched the Cybertruck in the Chinese market.
It is also worth noting that such regulatory hurdles may be one of the main reasons why BYD has only launched a pickup model now after having a wide range of passenger cars in its portfolio.
BYD Shark’s innovative platform
The BYD Shark will arrive as a mid-to-large-size plug-in hybrid electric pickup, outmatching the Toyota Hilux.
BYD announced last month that the Shark will ride on the company’s DMO platform. The O stands for “off-road” while DM stands for “dual mode.”
The BYD Shark is set to compete with the likes of the Tesla Cybertruck and the Ford F-150 Lightning when it finally hits the market.
BYD plans to officially launch its first-ever plug-in hybrid electric pickup truck model for the global market within this year. It is expected to initially hit right-hand-drive markets, like Australia and South Africa.
