BYD is gearing up to challenge the full-size pickup truck market with its new model, taking on heavyweights like the Ford F-150, Chevrolet Silverado, and Toyota Tundra. This move is part of BYD’s broader strategy to expand its global pickup truck market share, which includes focusing on Australia as a key target due to high tariffs in the US market.
BYD’s Strategic Move with Plug-in Hybrid Vehicles (PHEVs)
The market that BYD’s new pickup truck is targeting is the Australian market. The answer to the question, “Why not the US market?” lies in the high tariffs announced by the Trump administration. It is presumed that BYD has decided that direct competition in the US market will be difficult at the moment. BYD has announced that the new pickup truck will be produced as a right-hand drive model from the production stage. Considering that existing large pickup models are converted to right-hand drive and sold in the Australian market, it can be inferred that they are targeting the Australian market.
BYD’s new pickup truck model will likely be a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) instead of an electric one. Like the Shark 6, it uses a hybrid powertrain that combines a traditional internal combustion engine and an electric motor. BYD believes that by adopting a hybrid instead of a fully electric one, it will be able to target a broader market.
Expected Performance from the Full-Size Pickup
The Shark 6’s powertrain combines a 1.5L turbocharged 4-cylinder engine with two electric motors, boasting 430 horsepower. This combination is powerful enough to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in just 5.7 seconds. The new full-size pickup truck is expected to perform similarly, and the hybrid system will deliver fuel efficiency.
Market Launch and Timeline
An anonymous BYD official hinted that the full-size pickup truck may launch around the same time as the Shark 6 2.0L model, which is expected to be released in 2027. While no specific details about the launch date have been provided, this timing suggests that BYD is positioning itself to significantly impact the pickup truck segment in the coming years.
With its hybrid powertrain and focus on markets like Australia, BYD is poised to enter the competitive full-size pickup truck market, providing a fresh alternative to traditional gasoline and diesel-powered trucks.
