A BYD executive expects the Shark to sell between 10,000 and 15,000 units annually in Brazil, which would make it a top 5 midsize pickup in the country.

BYD (HKG: 1211, OTCMKTS: BYDDY) launched the Shark in Brazil, bringing the hybrid pickup model to more markets after Mexico and Panama.

The Chinese new energy vehicle (NEV) maker rolled out the Shark, its first hybrid pickup, in Brazil at an event in Goiania on October 19, according to a press release from BYD today.

BYD has surpassed 60,000 electric vehicle (EV) sales in Brazil this year, proving the company's position in promoting sustainable mobility in the country, Alexandre Baldy, senior vice president of BYD Brazil, said at the event.

The Shark will help BYD enter the pickup truck market in Brazil, bringing high quality and superior performance to Brazilian consumers, Baldy said.

BYD launched the Shark pickup in Mexico on May 14, a rare occasion for it to make a new model debut in an overseas market. It launched the model in Panama late last month.

The Shark is not yet available in China, which may be due in part to the fact that Chinese cities have a lot of restrictions on pickup truck models.

The BYD Shark is based on BYD's DMO platform, with O standing for off-road and DM for dual mode, and it measures 5,457 mm in length, 1,971 mm in width and 1,925 mm in height, with a wheelbase of 3,260 mm.

It is powered by dual electric motors, with the front motor producing 170 kW of power and 310 Nm of torque, and the rear motor producing 150 kW of power and 340 Nm of torque.

The BYD Shark's powertrain produces over 430 horsepower and can sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.7 seconds with a top speed of 160 km/h.

It is powered by a Blade battery with a capacity of 29.58 kWh and has an NEDC battery range of 100 kilometers and a combined NEDC range of 840 kilometers.

The Shark is BYD's sixth model to be launched in Brazil this year and its 12th in the South American country. Prior to the Shark, BYD launched the Yuan Up in Brazil last month, where the model was rebranded as the Yuan Pro.

The Shark opened for pre-orders in Brazil earlier this month at 379,800 reais ($66,620), aiming to challenge the Toyota Hilux and Ford Ranger.

Customers have reserved about 1,000 of the 1,500 Shark pickups available since pre-orders began on October 3, which is a significant increase over pre-orders for the company's Yuan Pro, which sold 600 units in pre-sales, Bloomberg said in a report earlier this week, citing Henrique Antunes, commercial director for BYD Brazil.

Antunes expects the Shark to sell between 10,000 and 15,000 units a year in Brazil, which would make it a top-five midsize pickup in the country.

Current sales leaders in the segment in Brazil are the Toyota Hilux, Ford Ranger and Chevrolet S10, which starts at around 220,000 reais, Bloomberg said, citing data from Brazilian dealer association Fenabrave.

In the first nine months of 2024, BYD sold 51,203 vehicles in Brazil, up more than 700 percent compared to the same period last year, according to the report.

Antunes said BYD hopes the Shark will help it move from its current 10th place in the overall sales rankings in Brazil to the top five by 2027.

“BYD didn't arrive in Brazil to be a supporting actor,” Antunes said, according to Bloomberg.

($1 = 5.7011 Brazilian reais)

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