BYD NZ denies Australian Shark price speculation

The head of BYD in New Zealand has responded to speculation around the price of the new Shark ute in Australia this week.

Australian website CarExpert.com.au reported that the Shark had been listed on a government fleet website at $68,000 plus on-road costs. BYD’s Australian distributor, EV Direct, has not confirmed the price, indicating it will be revealed in October.

BYD NZ brand manager Warren Willmot says the price is unlikely to be accurate, claiming the price has yet to be set for any right-hand-drive market.

“No pricing has been set for RHD markets in the APAC region,” Willmot says. “Specifications are still being tweaked for New Zealand.”

When can we expect confirmation? Soon, it seems.

“Our timelines have not changed since our unveiling at Fieldays. We still plan to announce final pricing and specifications to reservation holders by the end of September.”

Shark for Christmas

While there is one pre-production model here already, which has been shown at the aforementioned rural show, as well as to selected lease, fleet, and government customers, production units are yet to ship.

“This largely depends on shipping space availability, but all reservation holders who decide to proceed once pricing has been confirmed should be able to take delivery before Christmas this year.”

Willmot suggested that New Zealand will receive the vehicle before Australia.

46 grams of CO2

Considering the struggling market for electrified vehicles, Willmot indicates there is demand for the Shark while also confirming the ute’s CO2 rating.

“We took over 100 reservations at Fieldays alone and have huge interest from corporate customers – especially those needing to reduce their CO2 emissions,” he explains.

“Moving from a traditional diesel ute with 230 grams down to just 46 grams in the Shark makes a huge impact on a fleet’s emissions.”

The Australian government site has more information on the ute’s abilities, though the figures are not confirmed.

It claims a 100km battery range – though this is likely to be NEDC rather than the more realistic WLTP range – with 26kWh per 100km consumption. The Shark is reported to have a 29.89kWh battery and an overall NEDC range of 840km.

The Shark features a 1.5-litre turbocharged engine, paired with two electric motors. Watch our full walkaround here: