The Setup

• Ute: 2025 BYD Shark 6 Premium (stock 18" alloys, tyre pressures bumped to 42 PSI rear / 38 PSI front cold)
• Van: 2.48T loaded ATM, ~230kg towball weight, Redarc Tow-Pro Elite v3 electric brake controller
• Settings: HEV Mode + High HV Hold set to 50% SOC before leaving the driveway at 98% charge, Regenerating braking on High.

The Secret to Towing Without Running Out of Puff

If you leave the Shark 6 in default Auto EV/HEV mode and let the Blade Battery drop to 25% SOC before hitting a long climb like Cunningham's Gap, the 1.5L turbo Miller-cycle engine has to work overtime screaming at 4,800 RPM to both propel 5+ tonnes GCM and buffer the pack.

Instead, here is what worked flawlessly:

1. Lock in HEV + 50% SOC Hold as soon as you hook up the trailer on the flat motorway.
2. At 95–100 km/h on the highway, the engine hums quietly at ~2,100 RPM acting as a generator + front axle assist while keeping the battery sitting between 48% and 52%.
3. Coming up the 8km climb at Cunningham's Gap, I held 80–85 km/h effortlessly. SOC dipped from 51% down to 36% at the crest — plenty of buffer left, zero power derating, and cabin noise was miles quieter than my old 2.8L Hilux!

Real-World Fuel & kWh Figures

• Flat motorway towing (95 km/h, mild headwind): 13.8 L/100km + 2.1 kWh/100km
• Hilly/mountain range section: 15.6 L/100km (recovered 9% SOC coming back down the range on High Regen without barely touching the brake pedal!)
• Combined 1,400km trip average (with two caravan park 15A overnight plug-ins): 13.4 L/100km

Anyone else towing 2.2T–2.5T with their Shark 6? Keen to hear what SOC Hold target you're finding best!