BYD is muscling in on Toyota's territory! Is a fleet-focused hybrid-powered BYD Shark 6 PHEV ute coming to make life hard for the Toyota HiLux Workmate, Ford Ranger XLS and Isuzu D-Max SX?

Is BYD about to go after the lower-end of the mid-sized ute segment?

Overseas, the BYD Shark 6 comes in fleet-focused, stripped-out workhorse guise that could rival the Ford Ranger XL, GWM Cannon, Isuzu D-Max SX, Nissan Navara SL and Toyota HiLux SR.

According to Australian importer EV Direct CEO, David Smitherman, a variety of scenarios are available to the brand, particularly with government and fleet buyers searching for a low-emissions commercial vehicle.

“We're only launching with one (Shark 6) variant at the moment, so you can see the opportunity (exists there),” he told CarsGuide.

“We've had significant interest from fleets around this vehicle, around cab chassis, around full-size utes, as well.

“And so, what we're saying is, again, what's fit for purpose? For Australia, we'll launch with one model, but I'd expect to have a significant range of utes,” he said.

Asked whether the expanded Shark 6 model range would include fleet-focused base models like the Single Cab, single-motor, two-wheel-drive PHEV version that does not yet exist, Smitherman was non-committal.

“Potentially,” he said. “But, again, we just need to prove the market opportunity for that. And, if the market demands it, I'm confident we'll bring product to market.”

BYD, of course, is in the middle of a new-model frenzy, and some of the newcomers are anticipated to be fleet-suitable.

These are expected to include the Leopard 5 (a variation of the Fang Cheng Bao Leopard 5 that is essentially a Toyota Prado-shadowing wagon version of the Shark 6) and maybe a larger ute based on the Fang Cheng Bao Leopard 8 full-sized SUV (think Toyota LandCruiser 300 rival).

How big BYD could become in fleets in Australia is still a mystery, as no affordable, volume hybrid commercial vehicles have ever been made available in the ute segment the Shark 6 swims in, except for the GWM Cannon Alpha Hybrid launched earlier this year.

“It is really a hard question to answer, right?” Smitherman believes. “Because PHEV doesn't exist in the fleet market at the moment.

“However, with the change in requirements for a lot of corporates and listed companies and government organisations, we're expecting significant things.

“We've taken a fleet team to China recently where they were able to go to the factory and view the size and the scale of BYD and see the safety standards that we employ.

“We've had a Fleet Day this past week, and are expecting it to be a significant portion of our sales,” he said.

To that end, earlier this month, BYD announced special, conditional fleet prices on all of its models in Australia, including for the Shark 6 that won’t reach buyers’ hands until the first quarter of 2025, resulting in discounts for Australian businesses and government entities.

“Furthering its commitment to a more sustainable future, BYD is offering significant savings on every vehicle purchased from its extensive range of new energy vehicles - including the fully electric Seal, Dolphin and Atto 3, as well as (Sealion 6 and Shark 6),” BYD said in a company statement.

A six per cent discount applies to government departments and agencies and not-for-profit organisations, as well as all fleet entities exceeding 100 vehicles, while a four per cent rate is given to smaller companies running between 20 and 99 vehicles.

“This innovative program not only reduces upfront costs and total cost of ownership but empowers both business and government to faster make the transition to new energy technology, significantly reducing their carbon footprint,” the statement added.

BYD isn't fooling around.

Watch this space.