The byd Shark of Chinese production is a predator circulating a global truck market

Detroit – a shark circles one of the largest profit funds for American car manufacturers in the world, such as a Chinese car manufacturer Byd car expands its reach and portfolio of the product by truck.

Without a vehicle mark, byd Shark could pass as a product of American production. In many ways, looks like a smaller pickup from Ford’s engine. A truck manufactured in China has incredible external similarities with Ford Explorer mixed with the popular F-1450-part of the best-selling line of the Ford truck in the US for 48 years.

Similar to Byd’s seagull – Small completely electric hatchback that starts at only 69,800 yuan (or less than $ 10,000) – there is a fear among the world’s car manufacturers that Chinese rivals like will Warren BuffettThe byd, which has support, could flood their markets, lowering domestic production and vehicles at the expense of their own automotive industry.

Byd did not announce plans for sale of Shark in the US but entered the countries in which General MotorsFord i Toyota engine The sale of trucks, including Australia, Brazil and Mexico.

In the United States, trucks are main vehicles for car manufacturers in Detroit, combining millions of units sold a year. They also became increasingly important for Toyota in the US and globally.

“When you take into account the importance, from the revenue perspective, which these producers bring, it is a franchise,” said Terry Woychowski, president of the car industry at the CareSoft Global, who was previously the main engineer of GM’s full-sized truck. – There was a lot of interest in this vehicle because of the market.

Caresoft, Benchmarking engineering and consulting company, demolished and examined approximately 40 Chinese electric vehicles like ByD, Nio and others.

A company based in Michigan digitally and physically analyzes every part of the vehicle, from screws and latch to the seat, engine and battery housing. He then determines that his clients – mostly car manufacturers and suppliers – can improve efficiency and reduce the cost of their products.

“It’s a great product. They are selling well. They try to sell large quantities in Mexico, but also localize in Thailand,” said Ford CEO Jim Farley When asked by CNBC earlier this month about byd Shark. “If we want to be a global player in Pikapova, as we are now, we have to compete.”

While Ford’s F-150 rules the superior in the US, Toyotin Hilux has been the best-selling truck outside North America for years.

Asked about Chinese competitors earlier this month, President Toyota Akio Toyoda said that the company “must be ready to respond to the global needs of global markets,” regardless of competition.

“We try to focus on the needs of each individual market and try to be the best in the city. It will be the strategy we have,” Toyoda said During the media round table at the CES technological conference.

Byd allegedly embroidered More than more than 10,000 byd Shark in 2024. It is expected that such sales will increase in the future, especially while the company is preparing to expand production.

Byd increased its share of vehicles from China with 2%, or less than 56,000 units, in 2022. At 8% in 2024, or 350,500 units, according to Bofa Securities.

Exports continued to help BYD in increasing its global sales to approximately 4.3 million vehicles in 2024, compared to about 3 million years earlier. Wall Street analysts expect this number to continue to grow this year to approximately 5.5 million this year, according to Goldman Sachs.

“Byd begins to enter foreign markets with convincing (very competitive, innovative) products, which we expect to become the second initiator of the company’s growth, contributing to 31% incremental volume of vehicle sales during 2022-2030E, analyst Goldman Sachs Tina Hou said in a note investor of January 14th.

Byd Shark is expected to help the car manufacturer increase sales and profits. It is a medium-sized truck-which has a smaller market in the US compared to global-with a plug-in hybrid propulsion assembly that combines electric vehicle components such as battery and electric motors with a small 1.5-liter internal combustion engine.

The vehicle can operate as a complete electric vehicle or have an engine that is powered by its batteries and electric engines, with a range of more than 500 combined miles between batteries and engine, according to ByD.

Shark starts u about 899 980 pesos ($ 44,000) in Mexico. It’s far more than other Byd models, but still much cheaper than many hybrid or completely electric trucks in the US. It is in accordance with the prices of the Ford Ranger and Toyota Tacoma Tacoma Siddle Size Tacomota model in Mexico.

Driving byd Shark on a private possession with a mixture of smooth and broken roads in Michigan, the truck is driving well. His acceleration is fast but not as fast as Tesla Cybertruck or GMs completely electric truck. It’s quiet, but there is definitely room for improving and handling, which seem a little less refined than current trucks in the US

The overall quality of the making of the Shark is impressive, but there are strange elements of the vehicle as well as some “common” best practices with current Ford and GM trucks, according to Woychowski.

Some known practices and elements include the overall external design similar to the F-15, including its illumination and the draw of the trunk door; The design of the front seats is reminiscent of Toyota; and certain manufacturing aspects of vehicles used from other trucks. Most importantly, its frame – the backbone of the vehicle – dipped in wax. According to Woychowski, it is a process to reduce the corrosion that GM implements for decades.

“You can say where they measured and who,” Woychowski said as he examined the vehicle underwater. “Ford here in the back, Gm down and Toyota there.”

This does not mean that the vehicle is not unique. While CareSoft still needs to overthrow Shark to better understand his work and parts, the interior design of the vehicle and, most importantly, his hybrid propulsion is different from anything currently being offered in the US

For example, some of the battery technologies are located below the rear seats, eliminating storage space, and there are a bungee ropes to hold the rear benches of the vehicle when it is folded.

“This is actually pretty badly made,” Woychowski said about the back seat. “I would watch this space. I bet these were nicely edited.”

Other unusual elements that are not so easy to notice include an overly constructed rear suspension with a double -control lever (instead of one); rather flat frame; unnecessary amount of cranes below the vehicle to lift it; And using hydraulic hands for a heavy rear door, he said.

Woychowski said clients are especially interested in Chinese car manufacturers, including byd, due to their growth and speed in developing new products and improvements of existing models.

“It’s a credible truck,” Woychowski said about Shark. “There are some things they have done very well. There are some things that can do to clean it, but it’s not a difficult job.”

-Michael Bloom of CNBC contributed to this report.