A new electrified pickup is hitting the global market. China’s BYD introduced its new Shark plug-in hybrid (PHEV) pickup in Mexico this week. The new BYD Shark is poised to compete against top-selling trucks globally, like the Toyota Hilux and Ford Ranger.
BYD confirmed its first electrified pickup will be called the Shark last month after years of speculation.
The pickup was spotted for the first time by CarNewsChina at BYD’s facility in November 2022, and the anticipation has been building ever since. We’ve seen leaked patents giving away the design, prototype testing, and more, but the Shark is finally officially here.
BYD introduced the Shark PHEV pickup in Mexico at an overnight launch event. The hybrid pickup will be available in two variants: the GL and GS.
The base GL starts at 899,980 pesos ($53,400), while the GS costs 969,800 pesos ($58,100). Based on BYD’s DMO platform, the Shark features 170 kW (228 hp) front and 150 kW (201 hp) rear motors.
With 429 combined hp, the hybrid truck can sprint from 0 to 62 mph (0 to 100 km/h) in 5.7 seconds. Powered by a 29.58 kWh BYD Blade battery, the Shark has all-electric NEDC range of 100 km (62 mi). Combined NEDC range is 840 km (522 mi).
BYD Shark launch event (Source: BYD)
Meet BYD’s first pickup, the Shark plug-in hybrid
According to BYD, the Shark has low charge fuel consumption of 7.5 L per 100 km, which is 40% lower than that of full gas-powered engine pickups.
At 5,457 mm long, 1,971 mm wide, and 1,925 mm tall, the BYD Shark will directly rival top-selling trucks like the Toyota Hilux (5,325 mm long X 1,855 mm wide X 1,815 mm tall) and Ford Ranger (5,370 mm long X 1,918 mm wide X 1,884 mm tall).
BYD Shark PHEV pickup (Source: BYD)
BYD’s new pickup has up to 5,512 lbs (2,500 kg) towing capacity and 1,841 lbs (835 kg) max payload.
Inside, you can see other BYD design features, such as a rotatable 12.8″ center screen and 10.25″ instrument panel.
BYD America CEO Stella Li confirmed the company has no plans to sell the Shark, or any passenger EV (BYD already sells electric buses in the US), in the US. Meanwhile, BYD does plan to take the Shark globally.
BYD Shark PHEV pickup (Source: BYD)
A right-hand drive prototype was spotted testing in Australia earlier this year, suggesting it could launch there soon. Other global markets will likely include Thailand, South Africa, and parts of Europe. Stay tuned for more info on the BYD Shark as it hits new markets.
Spring is here, and that means it’s pool season prep time! There’s no better way to kickstart your spring cleaning than with the Beatbot AquaSense 2 Series—the ultimate robotic cleaner designed to effortlessly prepare your pool for sunny days ahead.
Beatbot is inviting pool owners everywhere to “Spring Forward, Clean to Perfection” with up to20% off the AquaSense 2 Series – Ultra, Pro, and Standard. The limited-time offer is available from March 17 through March 31 on Beatbot’s official website and Amazon store. Read on to find out how Beatbot can keep your pool in prime condition, and don’t miss out on this fantastic discount.
Beatbot AquaSense 2 Ultra
Headlining Beatbot AquaSense 2 Series is the premium AquaSense 2 Ultra, a pool-cleaning powerhouse that sets a new standard in smart cleaning technology. It’s packed with cutting-edge features designed to make your pool maintenance not only easier but smarter and more thorough than ever before.
At the heart of the AquaSense 2 Ultra is the revolutionary HybridSense AI Pool Mapping technology. This isn’t your average robotic cleaner – it uses an AI camera alongside ultrasonic and infrared sensors to create a precise map of your pool. No matter your pool’s shape or layout, the Ultra intelligently plots the most efficient cleaning path, ensuring every inch – from floor to walls, waterline, and even the water’s surface – is spotless. Plus, with the Beatbot app, you can easily track cleaning progress and view detailed cleaning maps in real time.
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Say goodbye to juggling multiple pool-cleaning devices—the AquaSense 2 Ultra delivers unmatched convenience with its unique 5-in-1 cleaning system. This robotic marvel tackles everything: water surface, waterline, floor, walls, and even a ClearWater Clarification System. Powered by an industry-first 11-motor submarine propulsion system, it transitions effortlessly between floating and diving, guaranteeing complete and comprehensive coverage every time.
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And when it comes to effortless pool management, the AquaSense 2 Ultra truly shines. With dual side brushes designed to sweep debris directly into the cleaner’s path, even pool corners and edges get pristine cleaning. Plus, the Beatbot app’s advanced navigation control lets you manually steer the AquaSense 2 Ultra across the water’s surface, making spot cleaning both precise and fun.
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The Beatbot AquaSense 2 Pro takes pool cleaning convenience to the next level with the 5-in-1 cleaning system. Featuring Beatbot’s exclusive ClearWater Clarification System and Smart Water Surface Parking, the AquaSense 2 Pro ensures every inch of your pool stays spotless with minimal effort on your part. Powered by nine precision-engineered motors, including dual floating chamber motors and surface propeller motors, it delivers exceptional maneuverability and efficiency.
Plus, the AquaSense 2 Pro offers smart app-based control for targeted surface cleaning, backed by a robust 13,400 mAh battery capable of up to 11 hours of surface cleaning or five hours of cleaning floors, walls, and waterlines. With AquaSense 2 Pro, maintaining a pristine pool has never been simpler.
The Beatbot AquaSense 2 delivers powerful, reliable cleaning performance, combining advanced technology with user-friendly convenience. Equipped with a robust 200W brushless main pump motor, this 3-in-1 robotic cleaner effortlessly tackles floors, walls, and waterlines, providing full coverage with optimized path navigation and impressive 5500 GPH suction power.
Its innovative double-pass waterline scrubbing system thoroughly removes grime, leaving your pool spotless after every cycle. Ideal for pools of all sizes, including larger ones, the AquaSense 2 features a high-capacity battery that powers up to four hours of continuous floor cleaning.
Plus, its intuitive navigation and powerful suction provides stable, efficient cleaning on vertical surfaces and hard-to-reach areas. With AquaSense 2, a pristine pool is easy to achieve, so you can spend more time swimming and less time maintaining it.
Spring forward into sparkling perfection – grab the AquaSense 2 model that best fits your needs today for up to 20% off and experience the ultimate pool-cleaning upgrade.
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Toyota is now a battery supplier? That’s the plan. Honda will use Toyota’s batteries to power up its around 400,000 hybrids sold in the US.
Toyota will supply batteries for Honda hybrids in the US
Toyota’s $14 billion battery plant in North Carolina is ready for business. The facility will begin shipping out batteries next month, and it looks like Toyota already has its first customer.
According to a new Nikkei report, starting in fiscal 2025, Toyota will supply batteries for the roughly 400,000 Honda hybrids sold in the US.
Honda currently uses batteries from China and Japan for vehicles sold in the US, but the company is (like most) preparing for changes under Trump.
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Honda’s electrified vehicles, including EVs and hybrids, accounted for over a quarter of US sales last year. The company sold over 308,500 hybrids and 40,400 electric vehicles in the US in 2024. The batteries will likely be used in the CR-V and other Honda hybrid vehicles.
Honda Prologue Elite (Source: Honda)
Earlier this month, an extra 10% tariff on imports from China took effect. And that’s on top of the 10% imposed in February.
With more expected, including a 25% increase in vehicles imported from Japan, automakers are tightening up their supply chains.
Toyota’s new bZ4X AWD model introduced in Europe (Source: Toyota)
A 25% tariff on Japanese vehicles, up from 2.5% currently, is estimated to cost the six major Japanese automakers about $20 billion in the US.
Tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada could cost Honda roughly $4.7 billion alone. Teaming up with Toyota to use its batteries for its hybrids is part of Japan’s broader global plans to ween off dependence on China and others for batteries and other emerging tech.
(Source: Toyota)
The new US plant, Toyota Battery Manufacturing North Carolina (TBMC), is over seven million square feet, or about the size of 121 football fields.
As Toyota’s first in-house battery factory outside of Japan, the plant could be a game changer as Trump’s tariffs take effect. Securing Honda as a buyer will already help Toyota cut costs as it ramps up output.
Toyota plans to ramp up electrified vehicle (EV, PHEV, and hybrid) sales in North America from around 40% last year to 80% by 2030.
Electrek’s Take
Trump’s tariffs are already causing havoc, with nearly every automaker warning that they put the US further behind. Overseas automakers are not the only ones feeling the heat, either.
The “Big Three,” GM, Ford, and Jeep maker Stellantis all build vehicles in Canada and Mexico. GM cut output at its plant in Mexico in January, where the electric Chevy Equinox, Blazer, and Honda Prologue are made. Stellantis halted operations at its Brampton Assembly Plant in Canada last month, where it was expected to launch the Jeep Compass EV production. What’s next?
For Toyota, it looks like its $14 billion bet to build batteries in the US is already paying off. Now, we just need it to introduce more EVs.
After unveiling three new electric SUVs in Europe last week, including the updated bZ4X, Toyota hinted more is on the way for the US. Check back soon for updates.
What do you think? Do you want to see more Toyota EVs in the US, like the new C-HR+? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
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U.S. President Donald Trump looks on as military strikes are launched against Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis over the group’s attacks against Red Sea shipping, at an unspecified location in this handout image released March 15, 2025.
White House | Via Reuters
Oil prices rose on Monday after President Donald Trump said the U.S. would hold Iran responsible for any future attack by the Houthis, a militant group in Yemen that has launched missile strikes on commercial shipping in the Red Sea and on Israel.
U.S. crude oil futures rose 40 cents, or 0.6%, to $67.58 per barrel. Global benchmark Brent traded higher by 44 cents, or 0.62%, at $71.02 per barrel.
“Every shot fired by the Houthis will be looked upon, from this point forward, as being a shot fired from the weapons and leadership of IRAN,” Trump said in a post on social media platform Truth Social. “IRAN will be held responsible, and suffer the consequences, and those consequences will be dire!”
Trump’s threat comes after the U.S. launched a new wave of airstrikes against the Houthis over the weekend. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Sunday the U.S. campaign will continue until the militant group halts its attacks.
“This campaign is about freedom of navigation and restoring deterrence,” Hegseth told Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures.” “The minute the Houthis say we’ll stop shooting at your ships, we’ll stop shooting at your drones, this campaign will end. But until then, it will be unrelenting.”
The Houthis began targeting commercial shipping traversing the Red Sea in late 2023 in support of Hamas, after the Palestinian militant group launched a surprise attack on southern Israel and Israel responded with a ground and air campaign in Gaza. The Houthis and Hamas are both allied with Iran.
The Houthi missile strikes have forced international shipping companies to reroute container ships that would normally pass through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal.
Trump has reimposed a “maximum pressure” campaign against Iran with the goal of driving down the Islamic Republic’s oil exports. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent recently said the Trump administration’s goal is to collapse Iran’s economy.
The White House believes Iran is pursuing a nuclear weapon, an allegation the Islamic Republic denies. Trump’s national security advisor, Mike Waltz, said Sunday that “all options are on the table” to ensure Iran does not acquire a nuclear bomb.
“We cannot have a situation that would result in an arms race across the Middle East in terms of nuclear proliferation,” Waltz said on ABC’s “This Week.”