Chery Stockman diesel PHEV ute priced from $52,990 in Australia

Chery has priced its Stockman diesel plug-in hybrid ute from $52,990 before on-road costs in Australia, with deliveries due to begin on February 1, 2027. A second, higher trim, the Ultimate, is listed at $57,990 plus on-roads.

The Stockman is described as Australia's first diesel PHEV dual-cab ute, and its pricing undercuts the petrol plug-in hybrid BYD Shark 6, which starts at $57,900 plus on-road costs.

How the pricing compares

The base Urban variant's $52,990 plus on-roads figure sits above the GWM Cannon PHEV, priced from $50,990 drive-away, but below the GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV at $57,490 drive-away and the Ford Ranger Hybrid at $61,000 plus on-roads.

That places the Stockman in the middle of a small but growing group of plug-in hybrid utes, and the diesel layout is what separates it from every rival listed here, all of which pair petrol engines with electric assistance.

Diesel PHEV powertrain and electric range

The launch powertrain pairs a 2.5-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder with a dedicated hybrid transmission and a 34kWh lithium iron phosphate battery mounted under the tub, for total system outputs of 350kW and 800Nm.

Chery claims combined-cycle fuel consumption of 1.0 to 1.1L/100km and CO2 emissions of 25 to 30g/km, with an 80-litre fuel tank fitted. The company has not published a fuel consumption figure for the Stockman once the battery is depleted, so how thirsty the diesel becomes on long runs without charge remains unannounced.

Electric range is quoted at 100km on the WLTP cycle, dropping to 96km on the optional all-terrain tyres. That beats the BYD Shark 6 Performance's 80km WLTP figure and the Ford Ranger Hybrid's 50km, though the Ranger number is on the older NEDC cycle and is not directly comparable.

A petrol PHEV version joins the range in the second half of 2027, with higher outputs of 395kW and 1000Nm.

Towing, payload and suspension

Braked towing capacity is listed at 3495kg, 5kg short of the Shark 6 Performance, Ranger Hybrid and Cannon Alpha PHEV, with unbraked towing at 750kg. Kerb weight runs from 2690kg to 2735kg, against a gross vehicle mass of 3500kg and a gross combined mass of 6500kg.

On paper that puts payload between 765kg and 810kg, ahead of the Cannon Alpha PHEV (685kg) and Shark 6 Performance (725kg) but behind the Ranger Hybrid (901 to 1009kg). The catch is that combining the GVM and GCM figures implies a payload of as little as 270kg when towing at the maximum 3495kg, a real consideration for buyers planning to load the tub and hitch a trailer at the same time.

Chery says it is still working towards a 1000kg payload, the figure it originally claimed before preliminary specifications in September cut it to 765kg. The diesel PHEV uses double-wishbone front suspension and leaf springs at the rear, while the petrol PHEV will switch to coil springs at the back.

Slate has listed a Rand McNally 2027 Road Atlas in its online store for $30, branding the paper book a "Screenless GPS" for its low-cost electric pickup. The item went up on Thursday in limited quantities, and Slate says it works in any vehicle on sale today, not just its own truck.

The product is a joke with a point. Slate's EV is being pitched as a stripped-back machine with unpainted composite body panels, manual windows and no large infotainment screen, which means no factory navigation either. The atlas fills that gap in the most analog way available.

What the $30 atlas actually does

Slate's pitch leans on the things a paper map cannot do wrong: no boot time, no subscription fee and no battery to run flat. It also offers no turn-by-turn directions, so it will never send a driver into an active construction site.

In practice, the atlas is a novelty rather than the primary way Slate expects owners to navigate. The truck will ship with a phone mount so drivers can keep using Google Maps, Apple Maps or whatever app they already know.

Slate framed the decision as a philosophy rather than a cost cut. "When it comes to tech, we believe you should use the devices and solutions you already know and love," the company said on Thursday. "Not because we don't like tech, but because we believe you already have everything you need to get where you're going".

That approach is consistent with how the truck is specified. Buyers get an LFP battery, a bed and wheels, with extras kept deliberately simple: an analog map at one end of the scale, a phone at the other, or an SUV kit that adds seats and a roof for those who want more.

The price the minimalism protects

Keeping the screen and the connected services out has helped hold the pickup under $25,000. Slate has also opened its first showroom, where the truck is listed at $24,950.

The atlas is a small piece of theatre around a serious bet: that buyers are tired enough of expensive, screen-packed cars to pay less for a vehicle that does less. Whether that holds depends on owners accepting their phone as the navigation system, which is exactly what the included mount assumes.

Timing and what is still open

Slate plans to deliver its first trucks later this year. The company has not said how many atlases it will stock beyond describing the initial run as limited, and it has not announced whether the map will be restocked once that batch sells through.

The atlas is not tied to the truck, so it can be bought by any driver with $30 and a use for a paper map. For Slate owners, the practical setup is the phone mount plus a mapping app, with the Rand McNally book as the backup that needs no charging at all.