PHEV ute battleground! Chery becomes the latest brand to recruit locally, signing Premcar to tune Stockman
Chery has become the latest global car maker to tap Australian engineering expertise in the rapidly escalating electrified ute battle, appointing Premcar to undertake local testing and validation of its upcoming Stockman plug-in hybrid.
The move means virtually every major electrified ute contender headed for Australian showrooms now has significant local engineering involvement, underlining the country’s reputation as one of the world’s toughest proving grounds for dual-cab utes.
Premcar will conduct an extensive local testing and validation program for the Stockman ahead of its Australian launch later this year, assessing the ute’s ride and handling across local roads and conditions.
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The Stockman has already been confirmed as a diesel-electric plug-in hybrid dual-cab targeting petrol-powered rivals including the BYD Shark 6, GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV, JAC Hunter PHEV and Ford Ranger PHEV.
The Australian engineering influence stretches across almost the entire segment.
Ford’s Ranger Plug-in Hybrid was developed in Australia for global markets, JAC recruited highly regarded Australian engineer Michael Barber to lead the local chassis tuning program for its Hunter PHEV, while GWM employs former Holden chassis engineer Rob Trubiani. BYD has also drawn on Australian engineering input forthe Shark 6.
Australia’s unique combination of high-speed country roads, rough regional highways, urban commuting and demanding off-road terrain has made it one of the world’s benchmark locations for ute development, with manufacturers increasingly investing in local engineering programs to ensure their vehicles meet customer expectations.
For Premcar, the Stockman program adds another high-profile project to an impressive resume.
The Melbourne-based engineering company traces its roots to Ford Performance Vehicles (FPV), where it played a key role in developing Australia’s high-performance Falcon range before evolving into an independent automotive engineering business.
More recently, Premcar has developed both generations of Nissan’s Navara Warrior, assisted with local suspension tuning for the broader Navara range and engineered Mitsubishi Australia’s Triton Raider performance ute.
Chery Motor Australia chief operating officer Lucas Harris said partnering with Premcar demonstrated the company’s commitment to ensuring the Stockman was ready for Australian conditions.
“Australia is one of the world’s most demanding ute markets, and we know our customers expect a vehicle that performs confidently across everything from urban streets to highways, construction sites and remote off-road tracks,” Harris said.
He said Premcar’s engineering reputation made it the ideal partner to validate the Stockman before launch and represented another example of Chery investing locally.
Premcar CEO Bernie Quinn said Chery had established specific ride and handling targets for the Stockman and the company’s role would be to test and validate those characteristics across a variety of Australian conditions.
The Stockman will become Chery’s first ute globally and a significant expansion of the Chinese brand’s Australian line-up, which currently consists entirely of SUVs.
Earlier this year Chery confirmed the Stockman will be powered by a world-first diesel-electric plug-in hybrid drivetrain producing up to 350kW and 800Nm, with a 3500kg braked towing capacity designed to put it among the front-runners in Australia’s increasingly competitive electrified ute market.
Further details of the Australian-specification Stockman are expected closer to its local launch in late 2026.
