BYD Shark makes Malaysian bow at Tech Discovery Day 2025

KUALA LUMPUR: BYD’s first ever Tech Discovery Day in Malaysia is giving locals an early look at something quite different from the usual EV crossovers and sedans. Parked among the Atto 3, Seal and Denza models is the BYD Shark, a plug in hybrid pickup that is being shown here as a technology exhibit rather than a confirmed showroom model.

The BYD Tech Discovery 2025 event runs from 14 to 16 November 2025 at Carpark 3, Plaza Arkadia in Desa ParkCity, with activities starting from the morning and running through the day. It is billed as an “intelligent mobility” showcase, with test drives, tech demos and family friendly activities built around the brand’s electric line up.

Also Read: 100+ BYD Seal 6 EVs delivered in first week of launch

For now, the Shark is simply a static highlight. BYD Sime Motors is not announcing Malaysian prices, variants or a launch date, and the exact specification of the unit on display has not been detailed beyond the fact that it was shipped in from China. Instead, visitors are invited to climb aboard, poke around the cabin and get a feel for what a plug in hybrid pickup from BYD looks and feels like.

Globally, the Shark (also marketed as Shark 6) is a mid size double cab pickup that sits in the same class as a Hilux or Ranger. It runs on a ladder frame chassis but uses independent double wishbone suspension at both ends, so the hardware is closer to an SUV in terms of ride layout than a traditional leaf sprung workhorse.

The truck bed offers around 1,450 litres of volume and the payload rating is 835 kg, while braked towing capacity is 2,500kg. Dimensions are 5,457 mm in length, 1,917 mm in width and 1,925 mm in height, with a 3,260 mm wheelbase, putting it firmly in the popular one tonne ute bracket.

DMO plug in hybrid powertrain

Under the skin, the Shark showcases BYD’s DMO “Dual Mode Off road” super hybrid system. The layout combines a 1.5 litre turbocharged four cylinder petrol engine with a pair of electric motors, one on each axle, giving all wheel drive through the motors most of the time.

On its own, the engine produces about 184 PS and 260 Nm. The front electric motor is rated at 231 PS and 310 Nm, while the rear motor contributes 204 PS and 340 Nm. Together, the system delivers a total of 436 PS and 650 Nm, sending the pickup from 0 to 100 km/h in a quoted 5.7 seconds and on to a top speed of around 160 km/h.

Most driving is done on electric power, with the petrol engine acting largely as a generator. At higher speeds, above roughly 70 km/h, the engine can also be clutched in to drive the wheels directly, improving efficiency on highway runs.

Battery, range and charging

Energy is stored in BYD’s familiar Blade battery, in this case a 29.58 kWh lithium iron phosphate pack mounted within the chassis structure. On paper, the Shark can travel about 100 km on electric power alone on NEDC style test cycles, and BYD quotes a total hybrid range of up to 840 km when the battery and fuel tank are used together.

For charging, the truck supports up to 7 kW AC, which suits an overnight top up at home or a long lunch stop. DC fast charging is rated at 55 kW, with BYD quoting a 30 to 80 percent recharge in around 25 minutes for this size of battery.

For a vehicle with an engine, its key party trick is vehicle to load functionality. The Shark can provide up to 6 kW of external power through built in outlets, enough to run camping equipment, power tools or emergency backup for a small household circuit.

Apart from the independent suspension at both ends, the Shark’s hardware list includes terrain modes for Mud, Sand and Snow, as well as hill descent control, hill hold and various stability aids tuned for low grip surfaces.

On the safety front, global specifications mention seven airbags, including curtain coverage for both rows, child presence detection, ISOFIX mounts, and a full advanced driver assistance suite. Depending on market, that package includes autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, adaptive cruise control, lane keeping assistance, blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert with braking and a 360 degree camera.

Cabin and tech

Inside, the Shark looks very familiar to anyone who has sat in recent BYD models. The trucks on display in Desa ParkCity are fitted with a 10.25 inch digital instrument panel and a 15.6 inch central infotainment screen that can rotate between portrait and landscape orientation.

Equipment lists in other right hand drive markets point to powered, heated and ventilated front seats, a head up display, wireless phone charging, keyless entry and start, dual zone climate control and a Dynaudio sound system, along with multiple USB ports front and rear.

The trucks at Tech Discovery ride on 18 inch alloy wheels and come with LED lighting outside, in keeping with global Premium or Launch Edition trim grades.

Why it is still “preview only”

BYD Malaysia has been open about the fact that the Shark is going through a viability study for our market.The Tech Discovery display comes after a turbulent few months for the pickup in the region.

In Thailand, the Shark 6 was introduced with a plan to collect 500 orders, but the company received only 153 bookings. The truck, brought in as a fully imported model with a starting price of around 1.7 million baht(around RM217k), ended up significantly more expensive than popular locally assembled diesel pickups, and BYD eventually cancelled the Thai launch.

Australia went the other way. There, the Shark 6 is priced in the same ballpark as mainstream Ranger and Hilux variants. When online orders opened, demand was strong enough that the national booking site struggled to cope, and BYD reported thousands of orders in a short period.

Those two extremes show that the truck itself is not the problem. Price positioning, tax treatment and how ready buyers are for a plug in hybrid pickup play a big part in how the Shark is received.

Malaysia sits somewhere between those examples. One tonne pickups here benefit from favourable tax rules, yet the market still leans heavily towards simple turbodiesel workhorses.

By parking the Shark at Tech Discovery Day with no firm local specification or price, BYD Sime Motors can watch how many people stop to look at the truck, what questions they ask and how serious the interest feels, before deciding whether to pull the trigger on a launch.

If the green light comes later, the Shark would be one of the first plug in hybrid pickups officially sold in Malaysia, pairing full EV running for short commutes with the long range and towing ability that local truck buyers expect.

Also Read: BYD Seal 6 launched in Malaysia – RM100k - RM116k, new C-segment sedan, up to 218PS/330Nm and 545km range