Why Aussies are flocking to the BYD Shark 6 in droves

03/21/2025 01:00 AM

If you’ve been driving around any major city in Australia lately, chances are you’ve probably already spotted a new BYD Shark 6 plug-in hybrid electric ute on the road.

In the past week, I’ve personally counted at least 15 on the road in the Sydney area, and they certainly stand out.

RELATED: BYD 'under pressure' to increase Shark 6 price in Australia

The first BYD Shark 6 – an all-new model never previously sold in Australia – arrived in local showrooms in mid-January 2025 and already has given the long-standing best-selling utes, the Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux, a run for their money.

According to February VFACTS data, 2026 examples of the Shark 6 were delivered to owners in February alone, placing it behind the Ford Ranger 4×4 with 3782 deliveries and the HiLux with 3099.

However, the Shark 6 trumps other big 4×4 players such as the Isuzu D-Max (1593), Mitsubishi Triton (1242), and Mazda BT-50 (1176), leading it to not only be the third best-selling ute in Australia in February but also the sixth best-selling car overall.

However, it’s worth noting that these numbers signify orders being filled and not overall demand for the vehicle – with pre-orders for the ute opening back in October 2025.

Local importer EVDirect claimed that it had received more than 5500 pre-orders in January 2025, more than half of its goal of 10,000 Shark 6s delivered in 2025.

However, the first few weeks of deliveries were affected by a port strike, which saw about 3000 Shark 6s stranded on ships off the Australian coastline. This could mean that the figures at the end of March could be even higher.

But with more popping up all over Australia, what makes the BYD Shark 6 so popular with buyers?

Why are people buying the BYD Shark 6?

There are several reasons why the BYD Shark 6 could be attractive to buyers, including the fringe benefits tax (FBT) incentive for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, the pricing, and the fact that there isn’t anything else available like it on the market yet.

Fringe benefits tax (FBT)

The Shark 6’s price means it is eligible for several different tax benefits. The main one people are capitalising on at the moment is the FBT exemption, which will soon close.

Plug-in hybrid vehicles are exempt from paying the FBT if they are priced under $89,332, no matter how much the vehicle is used for personal use.

However, under changes announced by the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) in March 2024, PHEVs will no longer be considered zero- or low-emissions vehicles from April 1, 2025. Fully-electric vehicles will still be exempt after the cut-off date.

There is still a possibility that they can be FBT exempt after the April cut-off, but because the payload is below one tonne and it cannot carry eight or more passengers, it is a case-by-case basis and will not be eligible for personal use without a logbook.

To find out more on FBT, click here.

BYD Shark 6 competition

The BYD Shark 6 is the only PHEV in its class currently sold in Australia. Although the idea of a plug-in hybrid ute has been teased for many years, BYD is the only brand to bring it to market.

Ford has been teasing its Ranger PHEV for many months now, and it is expected to arrive in showrooms in mid-2025.

The same goes with the GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV, which is expected to arrive in April 2025.

How much does the BYD Shark 6 cost?

Another selling point of the Shark 6 is its pricing and where it positions itself in the market.

In terms of 4X4s, its RRP is comparable to middle-of-the-range diesel utes from Ford and Toyota: $57,900 plus on-road costs.

As mentioned previously, the Shark 6 doesn’t currently have any competitors in the market, so when compared to mid-sized SUVs, it still trumps the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, Cupra Formentor VZe, and Mazda CX-60 in price.

Even with the GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV and Ford Ranger PHEV arriving, it’ll still match or beat them, being priced at $57,900 (plus on-road costs) and $71,990 (plus on-road costs), respectively.

Will the success of the BYD Shark 6 continue?

With more competition coming in and the FBT exemption coming to an end, it’s hard to say what will happen with Shark 6 sales.

There are two ways of looking at the car: the initial excitement has led to a whopping increase in pre-orders. Or, the sales could take off again once it has proven itself in the market.

We could likely see an explosion in sales over the next few months as businesses capitalise on the last of the PHEV FBT exemption, as we already saw a PHEV sales hike when the cut was announced.

Luke Todd, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director ar EVDirect, says that the brand believes the Shark 6 will remain steady even after the FBT exemption is ended and other PHEV utes come to market.

“For sure, the Shark is the standout vehicle in its category and the FBT exemption was always set to end, but the vehicle has and will continue to be more popular, especially as more and more hit the streets and people realise how good it is and the amazing value for money,” says Todd.

“Our customers are telling us the Shark is head and shoulders above the rest.”

After this, and the release of the other PHEV utes coming to Australia, Shark 6 sales could hold steady if EVDirect can resist pressure to increase the price from BYD HQ.

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