The European pick-up market is getting a strong alternative from Chinese manufacturer BYD. Originally unveiled in May 2024, the BYD Shark makes its official European debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. The Asian brand's first electrified pick-up promises to be a game-changer in a segment historically dominated by diesel engines, offering a pure electric range of up to 90 kilometers and remarkable dynamic performance.
The new BYD Shark makes no compromises when it comes to on-road and off-road presence. With a length of 5,457 mm, a width of 1,971 mm and a height of 1,925 mm, the vehicle is based on a generous wheelbase of 3,260 mm. Despite a considerable curb weight of 2,710 kilograms, its off-road abilities are supported by a ground clearance of 230 mm, along with approach and departure angles of 31 and 19.3 degrees, respectively. The bed offers a loading volume of 1,200 liters, the utility being complemented by a towing capacity of 2,500 kilograms and a maximum payload of 790 kilograms.
Beyond the robust lines of the body and the digitalized interior — marked by a 10.25-inch instrument cluster and a 15.6-inch rotating central screen —, the real novelty hides under the hood. The plug-in hybrid (PHEV) propulsion system combines a 1.5-liter turbocharged gasoline engine (150 hp and 240 Nm) with two electric motors. The unit on the front axle delivers 231 hp and 310 Nm, while the rear motor increases by 204 hp and 340 Nm.
The total result is 436 hp and a maximum torque of 650 Nm, propelling the massive pick-up from 0 to 100 km/h in just 5.7 seconds. The centerpiece of the electric architecture is the 32.2 kWh Blade battery, integrated directly into the platform via Cell-To-Chassis (CTC) technology, which provides increased structural rigidity and off-road protection. Pure electric autonomy reaches 90 kilometers, and the combined autonomy (with full tank and battery) is 675 kilometers. DC fast charging at 55 kW allows energy recovery from 30% to 80% in just 21 minutes, while a full recharge at an 11 kW AC station takes just over 3 hours.
BYD is pursuing a simplified strategy in Europe, offering the Shark in a single, extremely generous trim level. The standard equipment list includes eco-leather upholstery, heated and ventilated front seats, a 12-speaker Dynaudio premium audio system, Head-Up Display and full wireless connectivity via Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. An extremely useful feature for use on the construction site or camping is Vehicle-to-Load (V2L), capable of powering external consumers with up to 6 kW of power. For the exterior, the color palette includes shades such as Atlantis Blue, Obsidian Black, Polar White, Grey Green and Sunrise Orange, matched with 18-inch wheels.
With the launch at Goodwood, BYD has officially opened order lists for the UK market, with the model set to become available in the rest of the European Union markets in the second half of the year, with first deliveries scheduled towards the end of this year.
As for the Romanian market, although the official importer has not yet published the final price lists, the European benchmarks provide a fairly clear picture. In the UK, BYD Shark starts at 47,290 pounds sterling (approximately 56,500 euros, with taxes included). On the local market, the first preliminary offers from independent dealer networks place the model at a price of approximately 59,750 euros excluding VAT (which means around 72,300 euros with VAT included for the fully equipped version). The official launch through the national network will most likely also bring details related to accessing the Rabla government programs for plug-in hybrid vehicles, an aspect that could reduce the final purchase price.