Chinese electric vehicle maker BYD has named its electric pickup truck as BYD Shark and will feature a plug-in hybrid system in it, called Dual Mode Off-Road (DMO), which it developed for improving off-road driving experiences. BYD made the statement on its Weibo account but did not disclose the price for the truck. The announcement comes days ahead of the Beijing Autoshow, which is due onThursday.
Recently, the company unveiled three new models under its premium brand Fangchengbao including two concept cars. The Bao 8 SUV, Super 3 concept crossover and Super 9 concept sports car made their debut at a live-streamed event. The company plans to showcase these vehicles at the Beijing auto show, which starts late next week. The move comes as the Chinese electric vehicle giant ramps up efforts to sell into higher-priced segments.
Most of the Fangchengbao lineup features a plug-in hybrid system called Dual Mode Off-Road (DMO). This system was internally developed by BYD for improving the off-road driving experiences with better fuel economy and high horsepower, its chief scientist, Lian Yubo, said at the event.
BYD’s premium brand Fangchengbao was launched late last year along with two other upmarket brands – Denza and Yangwang. The company also launched a hybrid SUV, and a sports car under the Yangwang brand that sells above one million yuan (USD 138,132.99).
The company is also poised to introduce its small electric mini Seagull to the UK as an arch-rival to the Dacia Spring. The Dacia Spring is currently the most affordable electric hatchback in the UK but that could soon change with the arrival of the BYD Seagull. According to an online report, BYD UK’s marketing boss Mark Blundell said that the company is “keen to have it” in the UK, expanding its range of vehicles. If it is introduced, the Seagull will sit below the BYD Dolphin, which is another electric hatchback from BYD.
The BYD Seagull is also known as Dolphin Mini in certain markets and its prices start under USD 10,000 in China after a small price cut. The Seagull is underpinned by BYD’s dedicated EV platform and packs blade-type efficient batteries. It can travel for over 405km on a single charger. It uses a front-mounted electric motor that belts out 75PS of power and 135Nm of torque.