BYD introduced its new Shark plug-in hybrid pickup truck in Mexico on Tuesday. It’s the company’s first truck and the first product launched outside its home market, China.
Mexico is growing in importance for BYD’s global strategy as it aims to gain a foothold in North America — even as the company has made clear in recent months that it does not plan to enter the US market any time soon.
As a result, the Shark will not be available in the US but will go on sale in Mexico with a starting price of roughly $54,000 USD, or 899,980 pesos.
Therefore, the midsize Shark hybrid will be aimed squarely at major global players like the Toyota Hilux and Nissan Navarra.
In the US, the BYD Shark would have competed against midsize pickup stalwarts like the Toyota Tacoma, Chevrolet Colorado, Nissan Frontier, and Ford Ranger.
However, there are no plug-in hybrid midsize pickup trucks on sale in the US. The Tacoma does offer a hybrid but does not have the ability to be plugged in.