Chinese Tesla rival BYD recently sparked curiosity in the electric vehicle industry with the surprising appearance of its new Shark plug-in hybrid electric pickup truck in the United States, a key market it has not touched yet.
BYD Shark PHEV spotted in Arizona
Reddit user ObviousPerformance56 spotted the BYD Shark PHEV in a parking lot in Scottsdale, Arizona, and shared the spy photo on the popular social media platform on Monday.
BYD truck spotted in Scottsdale,AZ
byu/ObviousPerformance56 inelectricvehicles
The BYD Shark PHEV sits beside a Tesla electric vehicle at 5,457 mm in length, 1,971 mm in width, and 1,925 mm in height. The spy photo also shows what seems to be a Jeep Wagoneer model behind the BYD plug-in hybrid electric pickup.
The news is interesting, considering that BYD already announced that it has no plans yet to penetrate the US market.
About the BYD Shark PHEV
BYD formally introduced the new Shark plug-in hybrid electric pickup in the Mexican market in May 2024.
The BYD Shark offers two trims, including GL and GS. The GL starts at $53,400, while the GS trim costs slightly higher at $58,100.
The model features a 29.58 kWh battery pack, delivering an all-electric NEDC-rated driving range of up to 62 miles (100 km) and supports fast charging (30% to 80%) in just about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, its combined NEDC range is about 522 mi (840 km).
It rides on BYD’s DMO platform, yielding an output of 228 hp (170 kW) in the front motor and 201 hp (150 kW) in the rear motors.
Moreover, it consumes 40% less fuel than conventional gas-powered trucks at 7.5 L per 100 km (31 mpg).
Is BYD finally eyeing the US market?
While the BYD Shark will become available just south of the border, the Chinese NEV giant already clarified that it has no plans yet to sell any of its passenger electric vehicles in the US.
For context, BYD currently sells its electric buses in the US. Considering BYD’s refusal to compete in the US passenger EV market, it is indeed intriguing to see a BYD Shark in the country.
The emergence of the BYD Shark in Arizona could be due to numerous reasons. For instance, US-based automakers like Ford or GM may be benchmarking the BYD Shark PHEV.
In hindsight, Ford and GM shared plans to introduce new PHEV offerings, with the pickup segment being a prime target. The Ford Maverick Hybrid is currently the most popular hybrid truck in the US market, setting a new record in H1 2024.
In addition, someone may have acquired the BYD Shark in question in Mexico and driven it into Arizona.
Considering the Biden administration’s newly imposed 100% tariff rate against China-made EVs, it is no longer surprising that BYD refuses to sell its products in the US anytime soon.
