BYD ute name will be “memorable”, promises Chinese brand

The boss of hyper-ambitious Chinese brand BYD’s local distribution arm has stopped short of confirming its new plug-in dual-cab 4x4 ute will be called the Shark, but says its name will be “memorable”.

The aggressive title has popped up in trademark registration data both here and overseas in recent times, and in official ‘spy’ photos the ute has been wrapped in camouflage that features dorsal fins.

“I can’t confirm the name, but I think what you see from our names is they are memorable,” David Smitherman, CEO of EVDirect, told carsales this week.

“And our names are ones that people can remember. They are not just a boring name. We are not a boring brand.

“We are here to excite and to give people passion and joy from the vehicle they are driving.”

Naming the ute Shark would certainly tie in with the nautical badges of many other BYD models, including the Seal sedan and Dolphin hatch already sold here, and the forthcoming Seal U plug-in hybrid SUV.

The Shark will be the first PHEV ute to go on sale in Australia. A battery-electric version is also under development, but launch timing is yet to be made clear.

Examples of the ‘Shark’ PHEV are already being tested in Australia and former Ford and Holden engineers have been involved in its development.

However, Smitherman was unwilling to guarantee the ute will definitely go on sale in Australia in 2024, despite previous commitments from his EVDirect boss Luke Todd that it would.

“Guarantee is a big word, right?” Smitherman said.

“We are certainly pushing it. Cars are being tested and we are certainly pushing it.”

Whenever the ute does arrive it will form part of an incredibly ambitious plan to double BYD sales and launch up to five new models annually.

However, Smitherman stopped short of predicting the ute would become the brand’s biggest seller, instead nominating the Seal U.

“At this stage I’d say SUV is my top-seller. I don’t have the ute in market right now.”

Much key detail remains unknown about the Shark, such as its fuel consumption, payload and towing capability, which is expected to top out at around 3000kg rather than the class-leading 3500kg.

It is expected other derivatives such as single-cab, cab/chassis and 4x2 variants will join the range further down the track, but they remain unconfirmed.

“It’s a work in progress,” said Smitherman.

On the EV, he specifically said: “We have asked for the whole fruit, right? We have asked for all the things you would expect around the vehicle: around range, around usability.”

It is known the Shark PHEV will employ BYD’s DM-i ‘Super Hybrid’ system with an EV-only driving range of around 100km and a total range of around 1000km.

It is expected to boast a Ford Ranger Raptor-beating power output of around 365kW from its combination of a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine and dual e-motors.

It will also have a vehicle-to-load (V2L) capability.

But while pricing is unknown, Todd has previously said the ambition is to blow the class-leading Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger “out of the water” in terms of sales.

Smitherman was more cautious, but still bullish.

“We are in negotiations [on price],” he said. “Looking at the rest of our pricing, we are competitive. And we want to grow the business and so we have to be competitive.”

Smitherman rated interest in the ute as “enormous” and predicted its powertrain would be a hit with tradespeople.

“When you look at the economics and the basics of a new-energy vehicle, it’s actually an easy sell,” he said.

“It will be a low-cost vehicle to operate… if you have a vehicle that’s costing the tradie less to operate, he’s got to be happy in these tough economic times.”

Smitherman confirmed a push had already started to lure fleet buyers into what will be Australia’s first petrol-electric plug-in hybrid ute, with a fleet trip to China.

Toyota is the traditional leader in ute fleet sales in Australia.

“We have probably 15 people from Australia’s biggest fleets in China right now touring [BYD] headquarters, going to factories.

“These are government institutions, utility institutions. We are letting them know about BYD. They are seeing engineering, they are seeing design, they are seeing the future.

“Fleet is a big part of our business. I see us being able to really promote that as a great channel for these organisations to meet their CSG requirements.”

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