BYD Shark PHEV first drive: challenging diesel utes to a dual

David Linklater
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BYD Shark 6 PHEV.

We’ve seen utes that are mild hybrid (Toyota Hilux), full hybrid with a separate electric motor (GWM Cannon Alpha) and even fully electric (LDV’s eT60).

BYD Shark 6 PHEV.
BYD SHARK 6: Engine 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol engine with 29.6kWh plug-in battery and dual electric motors Power 321kW/650Nm (combined) 0-100km/h 5.7sec Consumption 2.0l/100km (charge 25-100%), 7.9l/100km (charge under 25%) Price $69,990.

But really, the BYD Shark 6 is the thing everybody’s been talking about and/or wanting: an electric-drive pickup truck for the New Zealand market with AWD that can go long distances, can go off-road and can tow stuff. Oh, and looks cool.

When we say “fully electric” we mean you can plug it in. But it also has a petrol engine of course, as part of BYD’s “super hybrid” technology series, otherwise known as DM (for dual motor).

The big news is that NZ pricing has been revealed. Shark 6 is being launched in just one model, the bells-and-whistles Premium, for $69,990: a figure that includes towbar preparation (although you'll have to pay extra for the receiver). The only significant factory option is paint: $1250 for black or grey.

BYD Shark 6 PHEV.
Techy-looking interior, but it does all feel durable and functional too.

The Premium is the top specification available from the factory and includes head-up display, privacy glass, ventilated/heated seats with extra adjustment, and the big 15.6in rotating screen.

This is what everybody’s been talking about: an EV ute with AWD that can go long distances, go off-road and tow stuff.

Equally big news is that we’ve finally had a go in the Shark 6. We spent a day in the new EV-ute during one of the wettest days in recent weeks, which was not ideal for a first drive… but also fairly appropriate for a Kiwi ute.

BYD Shark 6 PHEV.
With 321kW, Shark is seriously fast. Yes, it makes a big splash.

Full disclosure: this was a pre-production evaluation example that’s not to final NZ specification. The local distributor has made some tweaks to steering, engine management and the rear sway bar based on its evaluation of this vehicle, so it’s very much just a first taste. And please ignore the sports bar in the pictures; that’s not part of the Kiwi package, presumably to make the ute more canopy friendly (in fact, we collected ours from Fleetline in West Auckland, which was busy measuring the BYD up). 

This is a Ford Ranger Wildtrak vibe in terms of lifestyle and off-road application, but on-road performance is more like a Raptor.

Anyway, a review of the properly finished product will come. For now, the Shark’s powertrain is fundamentally similar to that in the Sealion 6 SUV: the emphasis is on electric running and the motors are driving the wheels 100% of the time; the small-capacity petrol engine is there to act as a generator (a range-extender, in other words), although it can join in to help drive the wheels at times.

BYD Shark 6 PHEV.
BYD has different DM systems for different applications: this is 'O' for off-road.

The Sealion 6 features a DM-i powertrain; that’s dual motor-intelligent. The Shark’s is called DMO, for dual motor off-road, meaning it’s tailored for 4x4 work as well, including Mud/Sand/Snow modes on a nifty little steering-wheel button.

The emphasis is on electric running and the e-motors are driving the wheels 100% of the time.

A massive near-30kWh Blade battery ensures a big EV range: up to 100km in the NEDC test cycle, although NZ-specific 3P-WLTP figures are yet to come. You can AC-charge at up to 7kW or DC at up to 50kW.

BYD Shark 6 PHEV.
DC charging is handy for this PHEV because it has a big battery: nearly 30kWh.

As with most PHEVs, there’s no easy answer to the question of fuel consumption, because it depends entirely on how you use it. Especially when the Shark has such a large battery, and using the petrol engine to charge it when required is very much part of the technology package. BYD quotes two consumption figures: 2l/100km with 25-70% charge and 7.9l/100km with less than 25%.

Like BYD road cars, Shark has vehicle-to-load capability, meaning it can power external devices. With the ute, that extends to a brace of three-pin sockets in the tray, suitable for anything from power tools to a coffee machine.

BYD Shark 6 PHEV.
Outdoors espresso is no problem. Oh, and it can also power tools and useful stuff.

While this is very much a Ford Ranger Wildtrak vibe in terms of lifestyle and off-road application, the on-road performance is more like a Raptor. The Shark 6’s powertrain makes a mighty 321kW/650Nm combined, with 0-100km/h in 5.7 seconds (so just a snip faster than the Ford Performance product in a straight line). It's vastly cheaper than either, of course: the Fords range from $76,990-$96,490.

Given the numbers, there’s surprisingly little drama in the way the Shark gets up and goes. There’s little noise (sometimes the hum of the petrol generator) and acceleration is impressively linear. And then suddenly you’re doing 100km/h in your 2.7-tonne pickup truck.

BYD Shark 6 PHEV.
Nice floating controls: drive modes on left, off-road stuff on the right.

On streaming wet roads and some very slippery puddle-soaked gravel we were pretty impressed with the Shark’s roadholding. Our car’s quality Pirelli rubber no doubt played its part (the Kiwi spec sheet stipulates Continentals on 18in wheels, by the way), but it’s also a fact that electric AWD is very quick to react. We like the ride on loose surfaces, the Shark staying very settled apart from that lateral wriggle that you often get with hard-core 4x4 vehicles.

Where the Shark struggles against traditional one-tonne utes on paper is towing and hard-core off-road ability. It’s rated to haul 2.5 tonnes, which is good but still a full tonne down on the mainstream competition. Double wishbone rear suspension certainly helps the on-road handling, but theoretically might hold the BYD back in 4x4 situations compared with the solid axles of most of the competition.

BYD Shark 6 PHEV.
Speed and responsiveness of EV power is one advantage off-tarmac.

However, we’ll wait and see. The Shark 6 is 1deg better on approach angle than a Ranger Wildtrak and 4deg down on departure, so it’s definitely in the conversation. And the incredible speed with which an electric powertrain can adjust and adapt on tricky terrain could make a big difference to how the BYD performs in the tough stuff.

The interior is really quite flash, with soft-touch materials and lots of orange trim. A bit too nice for a ute? Maybe, maybe not; it still feels quite hardy and it’s a practical place to be, with good storage, including generous door bins and a deep tray on the passenger-side dashboard.

BYD Shark 6 PHEV.
Do you like orange? Good. That's the start button in the middle, by the way.

But still a lot of self-conscious style, including a techy-looking cluster of buttons on the console (that’s where the start button is, in orange) and a “floating” area on the steering wheel for the drive-mode and terrain-mode buttons.

You can release the tailgate from the infotainment screen, although it doesn’t have a Tesla-style proximity sensor; it simply asks you whether the area behind the car is clear. It’s heavy; you have been warned.

BYD Shark 6 PHEV.
You can drop the tray from inside the cabin. Handy, but could also be tricky.

The most obvious rival for the Shark 6 is of course Ford’s forthcoming Ranger PHEV. But only because it’s also a plug-in. 

They’re actually very different in powertrain concept: the BYD is an EV first with a big zero-emissions range and the petrol engine in the background, while the Ford is more of a traditional PHEV with the petrol engine doing a lot of the work and the battery there to assist (EV range will be around 45km). They can both be used to store energy and used to run tools and equipment, though.

BYD Shark 6 PHEV.
What brand is it again? Oh, right.

And there the comparison must end, because we’re still a long way off knowing how much the Ranger PHEV will be. But it's clear it will be a whole lot more expensive, because the Shark 6's pricing is lineball with the likes of the Ford Ranger Sport 2.0 (same $69,990) and Toyota Hilux SR5 Cruiser ($65,490).

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