Sat, 25 Jan 2025

Why this China-made BYD Shark pickup is drawing attention in the global truck market

BYD has not announced plans to sell the Shark in the U.S., but it has entered countries such as Mexico, where GM, Ford and Toyota sell pickup trucks.
1. Pricing: The BYD Shark starts at about $44,000 in Mexico, which is cheaper than many hybrid or all-electric trucks in the US. 2. Sales: BYD has exported over 350,500 units of the Shark to other countries in 2024, with sales expected to increase going forward. 3. Growth: Wall Street analysts expect BYD's global sales to grow from approximately 3 million vehicles in 2023 to roughly 5.5 million in 2025. 4. Design and features: The Shark has a similar exterior design to the Ford F-150, including its lighting and pullout tailgate step. Its interior design resembles Toyota, and certain production aspects of the vehicle are used from other trucks. 5. Hybrid powertrain: The Shark's plug-in hybrid powertrain combines electric vehicle components with a small internal combustion engine, allowing for over 500 combined miles between the battery and engine. 6. Build quality: While the overall build quality of the Shark is impressive, there are some quirky elements, such as "shared" best practices with current pickups by Ford and GM. The article also notes that Caresoft, a company that analyzes vehicle production processes and parts, has taken particular interest in Chinese automakers like BYD due to their growth and quickness in developing new products. The analyst from Goldman Sachs expects the Shark to contribute 31% of incremental vehicle sales volume for BYD over 2022-2030E. Overall, the article suggests that the BYD Shark is a credible truck with some unique features, but also notes areas where it can be improved.
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