BYD Shark gallops through the Australian desert..Proof of PHEV Pickup Success
Feb 13, 2025
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This plug-in hybrid pickup, made by the world's No. 1 electric vehicle maker and Chinese electric vehicle powerhouse, is a rare model with off-road driving capabilities. A recently released video from Australia's YouTube channel All Terrain Action EV shows how powerful the vehicle actually performs.
In the video, Villadi Shark breaks through the sand dunes in the middle of the Australian desert in the middle of a midday heat wave. This is an ideal environment in which plug-in hybrids can shine. This is because it is necessary to carry heavy loads and perform extreme driving in deep remote areas where there is no electric charging infrastructure at all.
In this test, the shark was driven with a load of about 200 to 300 kg. It is not clear whether it includes fuel and the weight of the two passengers, but in fact, heavy equipment was loaded in the loading space of the vehicle.
Portable air conditioners, large cooling boxes, air compressors, and camping equipment were loaded. If you move with the same equipment with a general gasoline truck, you can definitely feel the difference in weight.
The desert temperature reached 40 degrees Celsius on this day. The vehicle had to navigate through soft, deep sand in extreme conditions. This is the harshest scenario for a car's cooling system. Driving on sand requires all torque and requires significant pedal operation.
Unlike normal road driving, it does not travel at high speed, so the air flow is not smooth, which reduces the radiator cooling effect. In addition, the effect of cooling air was insignificant as the external temperature itself exceeded 40 degrees.
But Villadi Shark continued to drive without any problems even in harsh conditions. He also showed a stable appearance in the process of climbing the soft sand dunes. It easily crossed the difficult course where other all-wheel-drive vehicles often fall out.
However, it is necessary to be wary of excessive expectations for this truck. Many consumers consider Chinese plug-in hybrid trucks as "cheap and fuel efficient" models. But Shaq is by no means a 'cost-effectiveness model'.
Vyadi Shark is a pickup with the latest technology and luxurious interior, and is being sold for more than $50,000 (about 72.6 million won) in the Mexican market. The price range is also high in the Mexican market, where low-cost trucks are overflowing. In fact, it is not sold in China. This is because there is not much demand for expensive PHEV pickup.
Vyadi Shark's successful driving test is an example of how Chinese automakers are also competitive in the pickup truck market. In particular, it is significant that it has proven that plug-in hybrid technology can be effectively applied to pickup trucks.
Echoing this trend, Ford forewarned the release of a plug-in hybrid version of the Ranger. However, the model is reported to have no plans to sell in the North American market.
The possibility that the plug-in hybrid technology will become the mainstream of the market in the future is drawing attention as it has been proven that it can meet both practicality and performance in the pickup truck market.
In particular, hybrid pickup, which combines the strong torque of electric vehicles and the long driving distance of internal combustion engines, is emerging as an alternative to existing internal combustion engine trucks. As various models, including the Villadi Shark, have performed well in the global market, attention is focused on whether plug-in hybrid pickup can dominate the market in the future.
Editor Kim Tae-won tw.kim@carguy.kr
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
