Ford’s F-150 Starts At $87,000 In Australia, And BYD Thinks That’s An Opportunity

BYD is developing a rival to the Ford F-150, Ram 1500, and Chevy Silverado. The “super-sized” truck is a response to strong customer demand in Australia. Company is also reportedly considering an EV counterpart to the Shark 6. BYD isn’t content with just taking on the Ford Ranger . China’s most successful automaker is already looking to move up a weight class to challenge the Ford F-150. That next step won’t involve the US market, though, as this larger model is being developed with Australia in mind. var adpushup = window.adpushup = window.adpushup || {que:[]}; adpushup.que.push(function() { if (adpushup.config.platform !== "DESKTOP"){ adpushup.triggerAd("0f7e3106-c4d6-4db4-8135-c508879a76f8"); } else { adpushup.triggerAd("82503191-e1d1-435a-874f-9c78a2a54a2f"); } }); BYD’s first pickup in Australia, the Shark 6 , arrived in late 2024 wearing a face that looked more than a little inspired by the F-150. At 5,457 mm (214.8 inches) long, it sits just beyond the typical midsize footprint and comes equipped with a plug-in hybrid powertrain. More: Jim Farley Said Chinese Pickups Couldn’t Tow Like A Ranger. BYD Just Proved Him Wrong The Shark 6 was a runaway success, becoming Australia’s best-selling PHEV truck in 2025 with 18,073 deliveries. For 2026, BYD has doubled down, introducing a Performance trim with a more potent powertrain along with a chassis-cab bodystyle driven by customer demand. var adpushup = window.adpushup = window.adpushup || {que:[]}; adpushup.que.push(function() { if (adpushup.config.platform !== "DESKTOP"){ adpushup.triggerAd("89c65a14-4682-4807-a4bb-5436c5361bee"); } else{ adpushup.triggerAd("f25825bd-1260-4574-84ce-2b26e315fad8"); } }); Moving Up to the Heavyweights However, Australians have been asking for something even bigger. Liu Xueliang, managing director of BYD Asia Pacific, said: “Some customers have requested a full-size Shark 6, similar in size to the Ford F-150 . We are on our way to try to get there.” BYD Shark 6 Word of the program first slipped out in early 2025 , when David Smitherman, then CEO of EVDirect, said a full-size BYD pickup was “absolutely in development.” Since then, things have gone quiet on timing, but the working expectation points to a 2027 arrival if everything stays on track. More: BYD Just Landed On Brazil’s Dirty List, And It Wasn’t For Its Cars var adpushup = window.adpushup = window.adpushup || {que:[]}; adpushup.que.push(function() { if (adpushup.config.platform !== "DESKTOP"){ adpushup.triggerAd("bb7964e9-07de-4b06-a83e-ead35079d53c"); } else { adpushup.triggerAd("9b1169d9-7a89-4971-a77f-1397f7588751"); } }); According to CarExpert , the real pressure isn’t coming from private buyers chasing something bigger. It’s fleet operators, particularly mining companies, that are pushing for a larger, more capable truck with electrification baked in from the start. In Australia, the full-size segment currently includes the Ford F-150, Ram 1500, Chevrolet Silverado, and Toyota Tundra . With a combined sales of 8,763 units in 2025, full-size trucks are a niche compared to the midsize segment, as the Ford Ranger alone sold 56,555 units becoming Australia’s best-selling vehicle overall for the third consecutive year. Still, the profit margins are significantly higher, which explains BYD’s interest. Australian-spec Ford F-150 Factory right-hand-drive conversions for full-size trucks don’t come cheap, and in Australia they can easily push past AU$150,000 (US$105,800). The F-150 starts from a little over AU$122,000 (US$87,000) in XLT trim climbing to over AU$152,000 (US$108,000) for the Lariat, both with the 3.5L engine. BYD sees an opening here. Build the truck properly from the start in right-hand drive, price it more sensibly, add a tech-heavy cabin and an electrified powertrain, and suddenly those inflated conversion costs start to look like yesterday’s problem. More BYD Trucks On The Horizon var adpushup = window.adpushup = window.adpushup || {que:[]}; adpushup.que.push(function() { if (adpushup.config.platform !== "DESKTOP"){ adpushup.triggerAd("b25ecba7-3bbb-4ea7-a3a8-dbea91695c07"); } else { adpushup.triggerAd("e46c436a-adeb-4b5e-a2c7-56bc36561c10"); } }); That move upmarket isn’t happening in isolation. Liu Xueliang has already suggested a fully electric counterpart to the Shark 6 is in development, aimed squarely at industries that no longer want diesel on site. Mining is the obvious target. If it lands as expected, it will go head-to-head with the electric workhorses now lining up, including the Toyota Hilux BEV, the upcoming Isuzu D-Max BEV, and the LDV eTerron 9. More: Toyota’s Electric Hilux Costs $20K More Than The Diesel, And That’s Not Even The Worst Part At the other end of the scale, BYD is also sketching out something smaller . A compact pickup is in the works, expected to ride on a unibody platform and use a plug-in hybrid setup. This one isn’t chasing job sites. It’s aimed at buyers who want the look and versatility of a pickup without committing to something oversized or overly serious. BYD Shark 6 Cab-ChassisBYD is developing a rival to the Ford F-150, Ram 1500, and Chevy Silverado. The “super-sized” truck is a response to strong customer demand in Australia. Company is also reportedly considering an EV counterpart to the Shark 6. BYD isn’t content with just taking on the Ford Ranger . China’s most successful automaker is already looking to move up a weight class to challenge the Ford F-150. That next step won’t involve the US market, though, as this larger model is being developed with Australia in mind. var adpushup = window.adpushup = window.adpushup || {que:[]}; adpushup.que.push(function() { if (adpushup.config.platform !== "DESKTOP"){ adpushup.triggerAd("0f7e3106-c4d6-4db4-8135-c508879a76f8"); } else { adpushup.triggerAd("82503191-e1d1-435a-874f-9c78a2a54a2f"); } }); BYD’s first pickup in Australia, the Shark 6 , arrived in late 2024 wearing a face that looked more than a little inspired by the F-150. At 5,457 mm (214.8 inches) long, it sits just beyond the typical midsize footprint and comes equipped with a plug-in hybrid powertrain. More: Jim Farley Said Chinese Pickups Couldn’t Tow Like A Ranger. BYD Just Proved Him Wrong The Shark 6 was a runaway success, becoming Australia’s best-selling PHEV truck in 2025 with 18,073 deliveries. For 2026, BYD has doubled down, introducing a Performance trim with a more potent powertrain along with a chassis-cab bodystyle driven by customer demand. var adpushup = window.adpushup = window.adpushup || {que:[]}; adpushup.que.push(function() { if (adpushup.config.platform !== "DESKTOP"){ adpushup.triggerAd("89c65a14-4682-4807-a4bb-5436c5361bee"); } else{ adpushup.triggerAd("f25825bd-1260-4574-84ce-2b26e315fad8"); } }); Moving Up to the Heavyweights However, Australians have been asking for something even bigger. Liu Xueliang, managing director of BYD Asia Pacific, said: “Some customers have requested a full-size Shark 6, similar in size to the Ford F-150 . We are on our way to try to get there.” BYD Shark 6 Word of the program first slipped out in early 2025 , when David Smitherman, then CEO of EVDirect, said a full-size BYD pickup was “absolutely in development.” Since then, things have gone quiet on timing, but the working expectation points to a 2027 arrival if everything stays on track. More: BYD Just Landed On Brazil’s Dirty List, And It Wasn’t For Its Cars var adpushup = window.adpushup = window.adpushup || {que:[]}; adpushup.que.push(function() { if (adpushup.config.platform !== "DESKTOP"){ adpushup.triggerAd("bb7964e9-07de-4b06-a83e-ead35079d53c"); } else { adpushup.triggerAd("9b1169d9-7a89-4971-a77f-1397f7588751"); } }); According to CarExpert , the real pressure isn’t coming from private buyers chasing something bigger. It’s fleet operators, particularly mining companies, that are pushing for a larger, more capable truck with electrification baked in from the start. In Australia, the full-size segment currently includes the Ford F-150, Ram 1500, Chevrolet Silverado, and Toyota Tundra . With a combined sales of 8,763 units in 2025, full-size trucks are a niche compared to the midsize segment, as the Ford Ranger alone sold 56,555 units becoming Australia’s best-selling vehicle overall for the third consecutive year. Still, the profit margins are significantly higher, which explains BYD’s interest. Australian-spec Ford F-150 Factory right-hand-drive conversions for full-size trucks don’t come cheap, and in Australia they can easily push past AU$150,000 (US$105,800). The F-150 starts from a little over AU$122,000 (US$87,000) in XLT trim climbing to over AU$152,000 (US$108,000) for the Lariat, both with the 3.5L engine. BYD sees an opening here. Build the truck properly from the start in right-hand drive, price it more sensibly, add a tech-heavy cabin and an electrified powertrain, and suddenly those inflated conversion costs start to look like yesterday’s problem. More BYD Trucks On The Horizon var adpushup = window.adpushup = window.adpushup || {que:[]}; adpushup.que.push(function() { if (adpushup.config.platform !== "DESKTOP"){ adpushup.triggerAd("b25ecba7-3bbb-4ea7-a3a8-dbea91695c07"); } else { adpushup.triggerAd("e46c436a-adeb-4b5e-a2c7-56bc36561c10"); } }); That move upmarket isn’t happening in isolation. Liu Xueliang has already suggested a fully electric counterpart to the Shark 6 is in development, aimed squarely at industries that no longer want diesel on site. Mining is the obvious target. If it lands as expected, it will go head-to-head with the electric workhorses now lining up, including the Toyota Hilux BEV, the upcoming Isuzu D-Max BEV, and the LDV eTerron 9. More: Toyota’s Electric Hilux Costs $20K More Than The Diesel, And That’s Not Even The Worst Part At the other end of the scale, BYD is also sketching out something smaller . A compact pickup is in the works, expected to ride on a unibody platform and use a plug-in hybrid setup. This one isn’t chasing job sites. It’s aimed at buyers who want the look and versatility of a pickup without committing to something oversized or overly serious. BYD Shark 6 Cab-Chassis