Chinese car giant BYD has reported strong sales of its newly launched Shark 6 plug in hybrid ute in 2025, and claims it is the third best selling ute in the country.
The absence of any strong pure electric ute offerings in Australia – the Tesla Cyrbertruck, Rivian, and Ford’s Lightning are not readily available – means that Australian consumers have casted a keen eye of the Shark 6, which boasts a relatively big battery and electric driving range for a PHEV (plug in hybrid electric vehicle).
According to data released by FCAI this week, BYD Shark 6 has seen 2,026 deliveries of Australia’s first plug-in hybrid ute in February.
This number includes some sales in January not previously collated, but if the bulk did occur in the latest month it would mean that it overtakes the Isuzu D-Max to claim third spot on the ute podium in Australia, behind the Toyota Hilux and the Ford Ranger.
BYD launched the Shark 6 at the end of October 2024, with lower-than-expected pricing – $57,900 before on-roads that crashed the local BYD’s website.
Since then, the company has taken thousands of orders and shows a clear shift from diesel utes towards electrification.
The Shark 6 includes a 29.58 kWh blade battery that BYD says provides 100 kilometres of pure electric range and a total driving range of 800 kilometres, offering drivers outstanding fuel efficiency.
The same blade battery pack in the ute can also be charged by the ute’s 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine. With this drivetrain, the Shark 6 has 2.5 tonnes of brake towing capacity.
The success of the Shark 6has helped BYD to have its highest month of sales in February, with a total of 3,281 cars delivered to customers, up 62% from its last high. It also represents a growth of 111% in year-on-year sales.
The previous month also saw the launch of the brand’s next EV, the Sealion 7 electric SUV, which accounted for 157 sales.
Other BYD models recorded a slowdown, with the Atto 3 just making it into the top 10 with 138 sales. Its electric hatchback Dolphin and the sedan Seal saw under 60 sales each, with both getting 44 and 56 sales, respectively. For comparison, in February 2024, BYD Atto 3 had 711 sales, while the Dolphin and Seal made up 219 and 619 sales, respectively.
However, David Smitherman, the CEO of BYD’s local distributor, EV Direct, said momentum is being built.
“Over the past 12 months, the right building blocks have been put in place, so we’re delighted that’s now coming to fruition with more Australians in the driver’s seat of their very own BYD vehicle,” he said in a statement.
“The number of vehicles we have on order suggests these strong results will continue – interest in Australia’s first PHEV ute, the BYD Shark 6 has been huge and, with the Sealion 7, we’ve added another vehicle in one of Australia’s most popular segments.
“We will also commence deliveries of our EV Essential Range in late March which will significantly bolster our EV numbers.”
Will removal of PHEVs from FBT exemptions at the end of March 2025 could cause hurdles for the brand’s sales growth ambitions. Time will tell.
