Rockhampton’s Scott Jones has owned a couple of diesels over time and however has labored on them repeatedly for many of his grownup life. Scott is a diesel fitter who principally works on giant mining automobiles, and that is the story of how a diesel skilled selected a unique path for his newest twin cab.
Scott’s most up-to-date privately owned diesel was a Volkswagen Amarok, which he beloved: “It was rugged and dependable but additionally comfy and refined,” he stated.
After Scott purchased a big boat, although, he discovered the Amarok struggled with steep inclines at low pace. That is regardless of the burden of the boat and trailer nonetheless falling underneath the Amarok’s 3.5t tow restrict.
“I simply didn’t like how the mixture labored when the burden of the trailer and boat was better than the automobile towing it: it didn’t really feel good,” he stated.
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So, Scott offered the VW and purchased a brand new 2021 Chevy Silverado 1500 LTZ. The additional weight and energy of the massive American mounted the issue, and Scott purchased it regardless of the actual fact it wasn’t a diesel.
“It was a robust V8 and it was spacious and sounded nice too,” he stated.
Scott later offered the boat however stored the Silverado that he loved a lot. Nonetheless, a few years on and troubles stored cropping up within the large Chevy.
“There have been a number of issues with the gasoline pump and belt and tensioner, after which issues with the water pump and oil cooler meant it spent loads of time within the workshop. I simply couldn’t belief it anymore,” he defined.
This meant Scott was available in the market for one more twin cab, though this time he didn’t want the heavy towing functionality.
By way of his work he was acquainted (and sad) with what Toyota and Ford have been providing and was leaning again in the direction of one other diesel Amarok. Scott had additionally been keeping track of a really totally different sort of auto that had not too long ago arrived in the marketplace.
It was the Shark 6 plug-in hybrid (PHEV) ute from Chinese language producer BYD. Transferring even additional away from the diesels he knew so effectively could be a much bigger leap than getting the petrol Chevy, however being within the engine enterprise Scott reads broadly concerning the totally different applied sciences and wasn’t frightened by a hybrid – if it might meet his wants.
The Shark 6 combines a turbocharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with considered one of BYD’s personal lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries and two electrical motors, which might transfer the automobile as much as 80km on battery energy alone.
The BYD additionally proved a little bit bigger than his previous Amarok, with a big sufficient tray and towing capability for his current wants. With a score of two.5t, it might simply tow his motorbikes of their devoted enclosed automobile trailer.
The plug-in hybrid ute additionally supplied the promise of considerably decrease working prices than the massive Silverado if he charged its battery at residence. That was the speculation anyway: as like most Australians, Scott had by no means pushed a Chinese language ute earlier than. With no sellers close by on the time, he flew all the way down to the Sunshine Coast for a check drive.
Scott admitted he wasn’t positive what to anticipate, and the construct high quality was the very first thing that actually shocked him.
“Those that trash these manufacturers as low high quality clearly haven’t sat in a single”, he stated. “It was as well-built as my Amarok. There have been no squeaks, rattles: all the pieces felt tight.”
He additionally favored the truth that all the fashionable options like first rate stereo, ventilated seats and so on. have been a part of the deal as customary. No costly choices have been crucial. The actual-world efficiency additionally matched the numbers on paper.
“It actually does really feel prefer it has 321kW while you put your foot down,” he stated. “None of my diesel utes might get shifting like this factor does.”
Scott took the plunge and positioned an order in June 2025 for a Shark 6 in white, with supply coming two weeks after signing.
When requested his ideas of those first few months with the ute he stated merely: “It has been an incredible automobile to this point and has matched up very well with my necessities. It even has decrease gasoline consumption than the Silverado when towing my bike trailer lengthy distances alongside the freeway. I can get 18L/100km at 100km/h whereas the Silverado returned 24L/100km.”
I requested Scott what his colleagues and mates considered him going from a Chevrolet V8 to a Chinese language hybrid.
“Some discovered it laborious to imagine what I had completed, particularly given all my diesel expertise. They assume it’s a backwards step in each method,” he stated.
His typical reply to this? “I inform them to hop in. The standard speaks for itself. In the event you put your foot down, they swear – after which they go quiet. They hear it solely has a 1.5-litre engine however they don’t perceive what electrical motors can do. It truly is faster than a Raptor.”
Scott expenses the battery in a single day if he’s going to make use of the automobile the subsequent day. When he’s not towing, he’s completely satisfied along with his common vary of 80km on pure electrical energy when driving round city on a totally charged battery.
When requested what he didn’t like concerning the BYD, Scott replied: “It wants extra storage. The Silverado had improbable storage choices all over the place. I need larger compartments and extra of them.”
Scott admitted he additionally missed the epic soundtrack of the massive V8 however is content material with the moment torque, decrease gasoline invoice, and the Shark’s tech and inside consolation.
Would he have purchased the BYD once more, now after a couple of months’ possession? “Positive” he stated. “And when BYD deliver out the larger one with the two.0lt engine, their Blade 2 battery and the upper towing restrict, I’ll purchase that too.”
Lastly, would the diesel specialist contemplate one other diesel ute sooner or later?
“Diesels nonetheless have an essential function to play, however for my very own necessities… it must be fairly particular to battle off machines like this,” he stated.
The writer acquired no cost, present or profit from BYD, or any BYD supplier group, for scripting this proprietor’s buy story. BYD had no involvement on this content material. Surname modified for privateness causes.
