The Chinese plug-in hybrid truck performs flawlessly even in the most unforgiving weather conditions.
- The BYD Shark is a plug-in hybrid pickup truck that is off-limits to Americans.
- A new video reveals the vehicle effortlessly navigating extreme Australian desert conditions, VAT efficiency-wise, while effortlessly climbing sand dunes.
- We will likely never obtain the Shark in the U.S., but I hope a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) truck enters the market soon.
China's electric vehicle juggernaut launches a kind of plug-in hybrid, capable off-road pickup that no one has brought to the U.S. so far. And as a new video from the Australian EV enthusiast channel Action EV shows, the truck can handle some tough situations.
The vehicle struggles with charging infrastructure, carrying an unusually high load in the rear. The host reports that the Shark is bearing around 200 to 300 kilograms (440-660 lbs) of cargo.
That appears to be a rather aggressive estimate, unless he's factored in the fuel and the two passengers, but there is some significant weight in the bed. He brings a portable air conditioner, a large ice cooler, a gas compressor and his entire camping setup. When I transport all that in my older gas truck, I can definitely feel the difference.
Plus, he reports that it's 104 degrees Fahrenheit, equivalent to 40 degrees Celsius, in the desert. And the shark has to plow through deep, soft sand.
That's the worst-case scenario for a vehicle's cooling system. Forcing a vehicle through sand requires its maximal torque and throttle application. However, unlike towing on the highway, movement speed is low, which means there's less cool air flowing through the radiator. At temperatures of over 100 degrees, this air is also not particularly cool to begin with.
Yet the Shark navigates the extreme conditions without any trouble. It also drives up a soft sand hill with remarkably little difficulty. It takes two attempts, as the hill initially remains untouched by tire marks, but the Shark still successfully climbs a hill that the host says has stranded many four-wheel-drive vehicles.
In areas where more affordable trucks are common, this pricier PHEV pickup is not readily available. It is not even sold in China, due to insufficient demand for such a high-priced hybrid vehicle. Additionally, a wide assortment of gasoline-powered 4x4s can easily handle such demanding tasks.
The irksome thing is that that truck has yet to be announced for the North American market.
We can't see why. With low-end torque comparable to an EV and the endurance of a gas truck, a plug-in hybrid pickup could be an ideal solution for tens of thousands of American truck buyers. Until one arrives, though, we'll simply have to observe as the rest of the world gets to experience this option before us.
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