BYD Debuts PHEV Pickup Truck for Mexican Buyers
Chinese automaker BYD (Build Your Dreams) doesn’t currently sell vehicles in the U.S., but it’s coming awfully close to our borders. It recently revealed a plug-in hybrid truck for the Mexican market, but said it has no plans to bring it north of the border – for now.
The Shark PHEV pickup will be sold globally for a starting price of around $53,400, though the world’s largest truck market will have to sit by and watch. BYD said it also plans to build a factory in Mexico with an annual capacity of 150,000 cars, though it will be a while before it selects a site for the plant.
The automaker said the Shark aims to remedy many of the issues commonly found with pickup trucks, including bad fuel economy and a clunky driving experience. Mexico got the nod for a factory and the truck’s unveiling due to the growing importance of its vehicle markets.
BYD’s international expansion is moving rapidly, but the company will likely second-guess any attempt to enter the United States. Recent moves from the White House have aimed at China with quadrupled tariffs on imported EVs, and several lawmakers have expressed grave concerns about companies sharing owner data with the Chinese government.
That said, BYD and other Chinese brands dominate the EV markets in other regions, including South America, where they comprise 87 percent of new electric sales. Tariffs or not, it’s probably only a matter of time before we start seeing them here, though the question of in what form and at what price remains.
[Image: BYD Mexico]
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Chris grew up in, under, and around cars, but took the long way around to becoming an automotive writer. After a career in technology consulting and a trip through business school, Chris began writing about the automotive industry as a way to reconnect with his passion and get behind the wheel of a new car every week. He focuses on taking complex industry stories and making them digestible by any reader. Just don’t expect him to stay away from high-mileage Porsches.
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BYD doesn't sell _consumer_ vehicles in the US. They've been selling transit buses for several years, and are building a school bus factory.
Build Your Dreams?
That would explain the CyberTruck and Mr. Musk's use of ketamine.
There are small/midsize Chinese made trucks all over South America. Many South American countries are on "favored trade status" with China.
Hint to Nissan: if you want something that will stand out in the market and be reasonably priced, how about a PHEV Frontier?