President Biden may have raised the Trump-era tariffs on Chinese EVs from 25% to 100%, but that did not stop Chinese auto juggernaut BYD (BYDDY) from releasing its new plug-in hybrid pickup truck in Mexico aimed at popular models by Ford (F) , General Motors (GM) and Toyota (TM) .
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The BYD Shark
BYD
Dubbed the Shark, BYD's new pickup is aimed to be a fully-loaded, extremely efficient alternative to popular small and mid-size pickup trucks like the Chevy Colorado, Ford Ranger and the Mexican-built Toyota Tacoma.
According to BYD's global design director Wolfgang Egger — a man whose impressive resume includes stints at Alfa Romeo and Lamborghini, BYD's new plug-in pickup truck is inspired by the deadly ocean creature it is named after.
From the outside, the face of the BYD truck exerts a tough look inspired by the Ford F-150 Lightning, featuring similarly shaped headlights and taillights along with wide fender flares that give it a bulldog-like stance. Like the similarly priced Ford Ranger Raptor, the Shark also features the BYD name stamped big, loud and proud on the front grille and rear tailgate for some added street cred.
BYD
The Ford Ranger Raptor inspiration continues on the inside, where the BYD lifts design cues like the bright orange rectangular air vents and contrast stitching. Though a 12.8 inch rotatable center screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is the centerpiece of an otherwise well-designed interior, it is no Tesla Cybertruck; toggle switches and a prominent gearstick are within the driver's touchpoints on the center console.
BYD says that the Shark is equipped with its "Hi BYD" system, which allows drivers and passengers to control basic functions without having to find physical buttons or switches. Additionally, the truck can be equipped with smartphone NFC keys, and can be optioned with a karaoke microphone for those singing sessions in traffic or on road trips.
BYD
What makes the Shark different from its American and Mexican-built competitors is its plug-in hybrid powertrain. Under the hood is a 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine mated to two electric motors making a total of 430 horsepower from all four wheels. Zero-to-60 is done in 5.5 seconds and BYD says that the truck can carry up to 1,841 pounds (835 kg) in its truck bed and tow up to 5,511 pounds (2,500 kg).
Additionally, the Shark's 30-kWh battery enables up to 62 miles of all-electric range, and up to a total of 528 miles with charged up battery and a full gas tank, eclipsing its competitors.
BYD says that the Shark will first launch in Mexico and that they do not have any plans to sell the truck in the United States, where it may provide a compelling case against similar, fully-loaded competitors with its $53,440 asking price at current exchange rates.
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During the unveiling of the truck, BYD Americas Chief Stella Li told Reuters that it plans to build a plant in Mexico by the end of this year. However, they are stopping short of any plans for entering the U.S. market.
"We don't have plans to go to the U.S. market, so this announcement does not impact us at all," Li told Reuters. "When we build a Mexican plant, we only consider the Mexican market and other countries' markets, we have not considered the U.S."
At the time of this writing, shares for BYD under (BYDDY) traded at $56.69, down 0.63% today on OTC markets.
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