Canon Alpha EREV Ute — Can It Be The #1 Big Shot? – CleanTechnica

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Last Updated on: 18th June 2025, 10:14 pm

Great Wall Motors has launched its answer to the BYD Shark in Australia — the Canon Alpha EREV (Extended Range Electric Vehicle). The ute (light truck) market in Australia is huge. In May 2025, one in eight vehicles sold in the country were utes (about 14,000). The top three best-selling vehicles were utes. Plenty of room for competition. You can read more in CleanTechnica’s May update on the Australian market here, and about the impact of the BYD Shark here.

The Canon EREV has roughly the same dimensions (height is 1924mm, width is 1991mm, and length is 5445mm) as Tesla’s Cybertruck (height of 1,796 mm, width of 2,032 mm, and length of 5,683 mm) and BYD’s Shark (height of 1925mm, width of 1971mm, and length of 5457mm). She’s a big beast. The Canon has a 37.1kWh ternary lithium battery coupled with a 2-litre turbo petrol motor. Its electric-only range is similar to the Shark. The Canon Alpha is about AU$9,000 more expensive than BYD’s Shark. More technical detail is available here.

Compared to the diesel version, the EREV is AU$10,000 more expensive — not a lot when you consider the high cost of diesel in Australia (around AU$2 per litre.) Australia’s new emission laws will encourage businesses to buy low-emission vehicles: GWM claims that the Cannon Alpha EREV emits 39g/km CO2 versus the 234g/km and 225g/km figures of the diesel and HEV versions.

Here is a video review of the Canon ute compared with the Shark. The ability to lock the rear diff (7.05 min) means that the Canon is better able to handle off-road “traditional ute” experiences.

I am not a ute person, and I prefer BEVs to EREVs (or PHEVs), but since this segment of the market is in dire need of disruption, I thought I better go and have a look. The sales representative was most accommodating and told us that he would give us 30 minutes to answer our questions and then we could have 2 hours to try out the monster. What fun — we were due to pick up the grandchildren from school and thought it would be fun to park an EREV next to all the other massive (diesel) trucks that sat idling outside the school.

Alas, that was not to be. While we were having our chat, a young couple came in, keen to check out the Canon, and we happily relinquished out test drive time slot to them. We did get a 20-minute drive around the block, enough to convince me that the vehicle was not to our taste and way too big for suburban streets. Having said that, I am sure it will sell. When we handed over the Canon to the young couple, we could see that they were keen, especially when Majella enthused about the massaging seats!

The Canon Alpha EREV ute has only been on the market for a month in Australia. The sales rep told us that he gets at least one enquiry per day. The ute is proving very popular. It is a vast improvement on Great Wall’s initial offerings when the company first launched in 2009. The sales rep assured us that GWM knows the Australian market and is catering for the needs of the Australian ute driver. So far, there have not been many deliveries. Although, stock is available.

Enquirers have shown that they know what they want and have done their research. “They know the car more than us!” The sales rep told us that he has had training on other GWM PHEVs (like the Haval 6GT). The only full BEV Great Wall sells in Australia is the ORA. He has worked for BYD in the past and knows the Shark well. Prospective customers are keen on the idea that they can save over AU$100 a week on petrol by commuting with the battery, but still have the convenience of petrol power for longer trips or 4WD. V2L is available — the plug outlet near the charging inlet.

Now to our test drive. We didn’t have long, and so Majella drove the ute around to the nearest scenic location for some good photos. These are our first impressions over a brief period of time. Check out the technical reviews for more detail. We were impressed with the versatility of the dual access tailgate — folds down, or splits and opens outwards. The dashboard had a plethora of knobs and buttons — great for those who like that sort of thing. Cruise control was on a stalk that was difficult to access. The 360-degree camera made backing up easier. The ute comes with a retractable sunshade and sunroof — great for driving out in the country.

We were surprised that the battery was only on 12%. The petrol motor was running to keep it charged. Hopefully this was because the ute was being driven so much and not because it was not being plugged in. Unfortunately, we were unable to discuss this with the dealership because that young couple were so keen to explore their anticipated purchase. I gave them my card and encouraged them to have a look at CleanTechnica.

Since we didn’t get much time to spend with the Alpha, I joined the recently formed Facebook page and sought comments. I would advise anyone buying an electric vehicle to join the appropriate Facebook page. There is a lot of shared wisdom out there, and generous motorists who are willing to help. As well as delivery photos of Canons sporting big red bows, there were lots of queries about accessories — canopies, towbars — and end-of-financial-year deals. There was some impatience about delivery delays, but certainly not as much as I have seen in the past with BYD and Geely.

Comments that stood out: “I’m happy with it as a daily, just running it in smart mode, topping the battery up overnight. Still on the first tank of fuel” and “Had mine for a week, lots of mixed driving (about 450km), loving the experience.” One motorist got pulled over by police to check the dealer plates in the car. “All they could do was talk about how cool the car was.”

Over 12 months ago, Australians were promised at least 6 electric utes. The only one that has materialised in good numbers is the BYD Shark. Hopefully more will come to keep the Shark company. Perhaps it will take EREVs to move the needle on electrified ute takeup Down Under. The GWM Canon Alpha is certainly a welcome addition, and we are looking forward to seeing large sales numbers and many of these vehicles on Australia’s roads soon.