Australians will soon have three plug-in hybrid utes available to them, with the Ford Ranger PHEV soon joining the BYD Shark 6 and GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV in showrooms.
Ford this week announced pricing for its inaugural Ranger PHEV lineup ahead of first customer deliveries beginning in mid-2025. BYD started delivering the first Shark 6s in January, while the Cannon Alpha PHEV is due to arrive in April.
Each ute goes about its business in a different way, with the Cannon Alpha PHEV and Ranger PHEV featuring similar off-road and towing capabilities to their combustion-powered siblings and the Shark 6 being more of a lifestyle ute.
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BYD Shark 6
While we’ve driven the Shark 6 and Cannon Alpha PHEV, the Ranger PHEV is yet to be launched. So – for now – we can only compare the South African-built electrified dual-cab to its Chinese rivals on paper.
Here’s a breakdown of the differences between each of these three plug-in hybrid utes, according to their spec sheets.
While the PHEV-only Shark is available in just one high-grade variant (for now), the Cannon Alpha PHEV comes in two and the Ranger will be offered in four, including the PHEV-exclusive Stormtrak.
Pricing
| Model | Pricing |
|---|---|
| BYD Shark 6 | $57,900 before on-road costs |
| GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV | $63,990 drive-away – Lux $68,990 drive-away – Ultra |
| Ford Ranger PHEV | $71,990 before on-road costs – XLT $75,990 before on-road costs – Sport $79,990 before on-road costs – Wildtrak $86,990 before on-road costs – Stormtrak |
Drivetrains and Efficiency
| Specifications | BYD Shark 6 | GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV | Ford Ranger PHEV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine type | 1.5L 4cyl turbo-petrol | 2.0L 4cyl petrol | 2.3L 4cyl turbo-petrol |
| Engine power | 135kW | 180kW | 138kW |
| Engine torque | 260Nm | 380Nm | 411Nm |
| Electric motor power | 170kW (front) 150kW (rear) | 120kW | 75kW |
| Electric motor torque | 310Nm (front) 340Nm (rear) | 400Nm | TBC |
| Total power | 321kW | 300kW | 207kW |
| Total torque | 650Nm | 750Nm | 697Nm |
| Transmission | Single-speed, reduction gear | 9-speed automatic | 10-speed automatic |
| Drive type | e-AWD | 4×4 | Full-time 4×4 |
| Battery capacity | 29.58kWh | 37.1kWh | 11.8kWh |
| Fuel consumption (claimed) | 2L/100km (SoC 25-100 per cent) 7.9L/100km (SoC <25 per cent) | 1.7L/100km | 2.9L/100km |
| Electric-only range (claimed) | 100km | 110km | 49km |
| Maximum AC charge rate | 7kW | 6.6kW | 3.5kW |
| Maximum DC charge rate | 55kW | 50kW | – |
| Kerb weight | 2710kg | 2775kg | 2527-2692kg |
| Payload capacity | 790kg | 685kg | 808-973kg |
| Braked towing capacity | 2500kg | 3500kg | 3500kg |
Dimensions
Non-PHEV GWM Cannon Alpha pictured
| Dimensions | BYD Shark 6 | GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV | Ford Ranger PHEV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Length | 5457mm | 5445mm | 5350mm |
| Width (exc. mirrors) | 1971mm | 1991mm | 1924mm |
| Height | 1925mm | 1924mm | 1871mm-1883mm |
| Wheelbase | 3260mm | 3350mm | 3270mm |
| Approach angle | 31 degrees | 28.5 degrees | 28.9-30.2 degrees |
| Departure angle | 19.3 degrees | 23 degrees | 23.9-24.7 degrees |
| Ramp breakover angle | 17 degrees | 19 degrees | 19.6-20.6 degrees |
| Wading depth | 700mm | 800mm | 800mm |
Servicing and Warranty
| Ownership | BYD Shark 6 | GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV | Ford Ranger PHEV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warranty | 6 years/150,000km (vehicle) 8 years/160,000km (battery) | 7 years/unlimited kilometres (vehicle) 8 years/unlimited kilometres (battery) | 5 years/unlimited kilometres Battery TBC |
| Roadside assistance | 12 months (renews at each service) | 5 years | 12 months (renews for up to seven years when servicing on time) |
| Service intervals | 12 months or 20,000km (whichever comes first) | TBC | TBC |
Safety
The BYD Shark 6 is the only one of the three utes to have been tested by ANCAP. The independent safety authority is yet to confirm whether the Cannon Alpha PHEV and Ford Ranger PHEV will carry across the safety ratings from their existing siblings.
| Category | BYD Shark 6 (2025) | GWM Cannon Alpha (2024)* | Ford Ranger (2022)* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adult occupant protection | 85 per cent | 84 per cent | 84 per cent |
| Child occupant protection | 87 per cent | 93 per cent | 93 per cent |
| Vulnerable road user protection | 74 per cent | 82 per cent | 74 per cent |
| Safety assist | 86 per cent | 81 per cent | 83 per cent |
| ANCAP rating | 5 stars | 5 stars | 5 stars |
*Non-PHEV ratings
All models are equipped with:
- Autonomous emergency braking (AEB)
- Car, pedestrian, cyclist detection
- Adaptive cruise control with stop/go
- Blind-spot monitoring
- Front and rear parking sensors
- Lane departure warning
- Lane-keep assist
- Rear cross-traffic alert
- Reversing camera
- Traffic sign recognition
- Tyre pressure monitoring
Additional safety features are available across the three utes, either as standard equipment or as optional extras.
Standard Equipment
The list of standard features available on each of these three utes is exhaustive, mainly due to the fact you can buy the Cannon Alpha in two grades and the Ranger PHEV in four.
Here’s how the key equipment across them compares.
| Equipment | BYD Shark 6 | GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV | Ford Ranger PHEV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Headlights | LED | LED | Halogen – XLT LED – Sport Matrix LED – Wildtrak and up |
| Wheel size | 18-inch | 18-inch | 17-inch (XLT) 18-inch (Sport and above) |
| Brakes | Discs front, rear | Discs front, rear | Discs front, rear |
| Suspension | Front – double wishbone Rear – double wishbone | Front – double wishbone Rear – leaf-spring solid | Front – double wishbone Rear – leaf-spring solid |
| Power outlets | V2L via 4x 230V outlets (1x cabin, 3x tub) | V2L, up to 3300W | 3x outlets, 1x 2300W in cabin, 2x 3450W in bed |
| Digital instrument cluster | 10.25-inch | 12.3-inch | 8.0-inch |
| Infotainment touchscreen | 15.6-inch | 12.3-inch | 12.0-inch |
| Sound system | 12-speaker Dynaudio | 6-speaker (Lux) 10-speaker Infinity (Ultra) | 6-speaker (XLT and Sport) 10-speaker Bang and Olufsen (Wildtrak and above) |
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