This new ute could revolutionise the market

This is the face of the future in Australia’s booming ute market, the BYD Shark 6. The Chinese-made dual-cab will launch in Australia by the end of October and in doing so become the first plug-in hybrid ute on sale locally.

And it won’t be the last.

As car makers look to cut emissions across their entire fleets, but consumer preference for internal combustion engines means switching to all-electric options is too risky, some of the biggest brands are turning to plug-in hybrid technology. The BYD Shark 6 will soon be joined by the Ford Ranger PHEV and likely a plug-in hybrid version of the GWM Cannon Alpha in 2025.

But BYD will be first to market, with the Shark 6 set to go on sale on October 29 ahead of customer deliveries in December. Final pricing and specifications are yet to be confirmed, but we do have a good idea what to expect.

The Shark 6 will be powered by BYD’s new (and grandly named) DMO Super Hybrid Off-road Platform. It combines a relatively tiny 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine with an electric motor and battery system that provides more than 320kW of power – which is more than the Ford Ranger Raptor. It’s capable of launching from 0-100km/h in just 5.7 seconds while also having up to 100km of electric-only driving range.

BYD has claimed the Shark will have up to 840km of total range thanks to its ‘super hybrid’ system. It can also be turned into a “mobile power station” thanks to its vehicle-to-load function that allows you to draw power from the battery to power electrical tools and equipment.

Sometime in 2025, likely before the April 1 cut-off for PHEV tax benefits from the Federal Government, Ford is expected to launch its plug-in hybrid version of the best-selling Ranger. The blue oval brand just launched the new offering in Europe, releasing it with a limited-edition hero model called Stormtrak. There are also Wildtrak, Sport and XLT variants all powered by the same combination of 2.3-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol engine and 75kW electric motor.

Also on the agenda for Australia is the GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV, which we detailed last week alongside its closely related Tank 500 SUV sibling. It gets a potent 2.4-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine with a pair of motors to produce 300kW and 750Nm, while only sipping 2.0L/100km of unleaded.

GWM hasn’t officially locked in the Cannon Alpha PHEV but it seems a formality, assuming the local operation can secure it at a competitive price. Which will be crucial given the likely increase in PHEV dual-cab utes over the coming years.