Chinese automaker BYD is set to unveil its first pickup truck model, the BYD Shark, in Mexico, marking a departure from its usual strategy of debuting new models in its home market. The global debut of the BYD Shark is scheduled for May 14, according to an announcement made by the company on X.
The BYD Shark is being positioned as a new energy pickup truck, with a teaser poster on Weibo showcasing the tagline “BYD Shark, Hybrid Power, Wild Spirit.” The decision to debut the model in Mexico suggests that it is primarily targeted at overseas markets, where there may be greater demand for pickup trucks.
In China, pickup trucks are classified as light vans and are subject to various restrictions compared to other passenger vehicle models. This could explain why BYD has focused on launching numerous passenger cars before entering the pickup truck segment.
Get readyāMay 14, 2024 #BYDSHARK pic.twitter.com/13oGFiZ9Qr
— BYD (@BYDCompany) May 7, 2024
The BYD Shark is expected to be a mid-to-large size model, surpassing the size of popular pickups like the Toyota Hilux. It will be built on BYD’s DMO platform, which stands for Dual Mode Off-road, as announced by BYD last month. The DMO platform was introduced with the unveiling of BYD’s Fang Cheng Bao sub-brand for the off-road market on August 16, 2023.
In recent years, Chinese automakers have been increasingly targeting international markets with their electric pickup trucks. Geely, for example, launched its Radar brand and its first model, the RD6 electric pickup truck, in China in October 2022. The company has since focused its marketing efforts on international markets, with the RD6 going on sale in Laos last November.
