WITH JUST a cursory glance at vehicles plying the roads — not to mention the usual suspects at charging stations — BYD is, pardon the pun, leading the charge in so-called new energy or electrified vehicles. ACMobility, distributor of BYD vehicles in the Philippines, reported a total of 4,780 units sold 2024, pacing sales in the category. Globally, BYD declared selling the most number of electric vehicles in 2024 — moving over four million automobiles.
After a slew of releases in rapid succession, ACMobility has rolled out another electrified offering here, which is doubly significant since it is a first foray into the competitive pickup segment for the Chinese brand.
It’s a specimen that BYD expects to wage war on the usual pickup suspects — with special focus on the highest 4×4 subcategory, and the Shark 6 DMO indeed serves notice right away with its generally larger exterior dimensions versus the more established competition. It’s 5.457 meters long, stands 1.925 meters, and is 1.971 meters wide. The wheelbase stretches 3.26 meters. While we’re at it, the Shark clears the ground by 230 millimeters when unladen, and boasts a wading depth of up to 700 millimeters. Of course, electric or electrified vehicles are not usually known to flaunt water resistance or a willingness to wade in the water, but BYD assures buyers that the Shark has abilities the pickup segment is known for — and more.
“With the launch of the BYD Shark 6 DMO, we are not just introducing a groundbreaking vehicle to the Philippine market but also taking a step toward a more transformative and tech-forward future. This model blends electrified performance and rugged design, making it the perfect blend of adventure and resilience,” said BYD Cars Philippines Managing Director Bob Palanca.
Members of the media, content creators, and influencers were able to preview the Shark days ahead of its public reveal — putting it through its paces and more through two makeshift courses at the Aseana City Open Grounds: a speed track and an off-road circuit. The latter was reserved solely for the Shark to demonstrate its abilities to visitors who got a chance to put the electrified pickup through its paces via a gauntlet of exercises and tests, with the guidance of instructors.
It was a windy yet hot day that greeted us — kicking up clouds of dust which flew across the fenced-in property. Unfortunately, it also blew dust onto the many Shark units activated for the event. But I guess that’s a messaging apropos to the pickup as well: It’s not afraid to get dirty.
And, as we learned behind the wheel, the Shark isn’t afraid of getting pushed as well. It can muster a standstill-to-100kph time of 5.7 seconds, we were told, and I tested this quickness on both the tarmac and the dirt “speed course.” While I didn’t time my sprint, it’s fair to say that acceleration was brisk on both terrains. Handling is surprisingly good and, despite the abuse and challenging surfaces, the double wishbones on the front and rear made the ride more comfortable.
But I don’t want to get ahead of myself.
The Shark 6 DMO is handsome, assuming a boxy profile that conveys heft and presence without being too loud. The front fascia dictates the tone right away with oversized BYD typography, and a healthy complement of lighting and DRLs — including a strip that runs just underneath the hood — serving to box in the logo with illumination.
On its side, the Shark has simple panels — nothing too fancy by way of crimping and such. What does get your attention is the black plastic cladding, of particular note on the doors of the dual cab. Aside from added protection during off-roading adventures and stuff, this feature actually serves to accentuate the vehicle’s distance from the ground — kind of like giving this pickup a further pick up. The wheels are 18-inch alloys; while a stepboard also comes as standard.
The rear, as with the front, gets a large BYD logo — this time stamped on the tailgate. Speaking of the tailgate, there are four ways to open this: through the key fob, a physical button in the console, through the infotainment screen, and with successive presses of a button on the tailgate itself. The cargo bed offers 1,200 liters of payload capacity, and comes with a sport bar for the Premium variant as well as roof rails. It also gets a, drum roll, shark fin antenna.
Now let’s get to the really important stuff. If you’re wondering what the DMO in the appellation of this pickup means, it’s Dual Mode Off-road — a “revolutionary technology” which gives the Shark “an unparalleled blend of power, driving refinement, and efficiency.” What it means for the user is an ability to “effortless switch” from electric and fuel modes depending on the driving condition.
As a PHEV, the Shark’s power sources are a 29.6-kWh BYD Blade battery and a turbocharged 1.5-liter internal combustion engine, which the brand labels an “onboard generator.” Two electric motors deliver a combined output of 435ps and 650Nm of torque — making it one of the most powerful pickups in its class. Both the Premium and lower Advanced variants are 4x4s.
Like many electrified automobiles, the Shark gets V2L or vehicle-to-load functionality. That simply means you can use the Shark to power an external device or appliance. Available in the cargo bed are three sockets that output 6kW and 230 volts: Perfect for powering a coffee maker, induction cooker, mini fridge or maybe even a sound system during your family’s off-the-grid adventures.
A vehicle-to-load adaptor is also on hand for plugging directly into the charging portal.
Inside, the Shark is bestowed a predominantly black interior — tastefully accented with red-orange highlights in its stitching and air-conditioning duct surrounds. Perhaps we’ve been conditioned to associate this hue with sporty things; it certainly works in the Shark.
It’s hard to miss the massive 12.8-inch screen that serves as the infotainment display. As in other BYDs this screen rotates into a portrait orientation, if you so desire. On this screen also appears the feed from the 360-degree camera. BYD is not just proud of its prowess in electric, but also the level of tech that it fits onto its vehicles.
The Shark 6 DMO receives the brand’s DiPilot suite of advanced driver assistance systems. BYD further spoils the driver with a head-up display. You also have BYD Connect, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and a whole slew of thoughtful niceties that promise not just heightened safety but convenience as well. Standard safety features including cruise control, a 360-degree view camera, front and rear sensors, vehicle dynamic control, hill hold control, hill descent system and a tire pressure monitoring system. The Premium variant additionally carries adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, blind spot detection, lane departure warning, and head-up display.
The second row isn’t a bad place to be as well, with a less-upright seatback and decent elbow room, legroom, and headroom. In keeping with a theme of providing power from a, well, powerful pickup, the rear passengers get access to a USB-A, USB-C, and 230-volt socket.
BYD claims a range of 100 kilometers on pure electricity and, with the ICE factored in, a total of 800 kilometers. Back to Super DMO tech, it’s said to be similar to the Super DM-i tech of the Sealion 6 and Seal 5, promising improved fuel efficiency, enhanced off-road capability, reduced emissions, smoother driving, and the aforementioned terrain adaptability.
While the ICE’s main role is to drive the front wheels, it can also charge the pickup’s battery pack.
For those still on the fence about electric vehicles, ACMobility points out that, on top of the Shark’s features and a dizzying array of safety elements including the “ultra-safe” BYD Blade Battery, preventive maintenance cost over a five-year period is astoundingly low: They’ve worked it out to less than P100,000 — making it the most cost-efficient pickup to maintain — up to 42% cheaper than its comparative competitors.
The BYD Shark 6 DMO is priced at P2.098 million for the Advanced variant and P2.298 for the Premium. ACMobility is furthering sweetening the deal until the end of March by offering a P50,000 discount for first-time BYD customers. If you’re a current BYD owner, that price slash grows to P100,000. The Shark comes in three exterior color options: Deep Sea Blue, Cosmos Black, and Aurora White (although I personally love the name of the color in the Australian market, “Great White”). BYD offers an eight-year/160,000-km warranty for the BYD Blade battery, an eight-year/150,000-km warranty for the drive unit, and a six-year/150,000-km warranty for the vehicle.
For more information, visit www.bydcarsphilippines.com, or the BYD Cars Philippines Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube social media accounts. Better yet, register for a test drive through an authorized dealership.
Time will tell how big a bite the Shark can take out of the pickup market.
