EV GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV vs Toyota HiLuxPlug-in hybrid or diesel: which costs less?
The GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV Lux works out about $5,834 cheaper to own over 5 years than the Toyota HiLux SR 4x4 auto. Plugged in at home most nights, the GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV Lux costs about $35.23 a week in power and petrol, against $51.19 of diesel for the Toyota HiLux SR 4x4 auto (250 km a week in NSW). Never charged, the plug-in would use about $56.71 a week in petrol.
Side by side
250 km a week. The plug-in is charged at home most nights; fuel is NSW's average on 21 October 2026. Better figure in green.
| GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV Lux | Toyota HiLux SR 4x4 auto | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $61,490drive-away | $59,490+ on-roads |
| Type | Plug-in hybrid (petrol) | Mild hybrid (diesel) |
| Electric range | 110 km claimed | None |
| Fuel use | about 9.5 L/100 km once the battery is flat | 7.4 L/100 km (diesel) |
| Running cost per week (NSW) | $35.23 | $51.19 |
| Servicing per year | $585 | $600 |
| Tyres per year | $416 | $338 |
| Warranty | 7 yrs / unlimited km | 5 yrs / unlimited km |
| 5-year cost to own | $75,656 | $81,489 |
Cost to own = price (plus about $4,000 on-road costs where the price is before on-roads) + a home wallbox for EVs (about $2,000, one-off) + charging or fuel + scheduled servicing + tyres. It leaves out insurance, registration and resale value, which vary too much by person and car to estimate fairly. Resale value is the biggest unknown, especially for newer brands.
Weekly running cost by state
| State | GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV (power + petrol) | Toyota HiLux (diesel) |
|---|---|---|
| NSW | $35.23 | $51.19 |
| Victoria | $30.80 | $51.23 |
| Queensland | $30.53 | $51.86 |
| South Australia | $41.34 | $51.95 |
| WA | $34.63 | $49.60 |
| Tasmania | $28.31 | $51.89 |
| ACT | $37.94 | $53.06 |
| NT | $32.46 | $52.60 |
Common questions
Is the GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV or Toyota HiLux cheaper to own?
The GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV Lux is about $5,834 cheaper to own over 5 years than the Toyota HiLux SR 4x4 auto. This counts the price, running costs, servicing and tyres, driving 250 km a week in NSW with the plug-in charged at home.
Which is cheaper to run, the GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV or Toyota HiLux?
In NSW, the GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV Lux costs about $35.23 a week charged at home, and the Toyota HiLux SR 4x4 auto about $51.19 a week in diesel, for 250 km.
What if I can't charge the GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV at home?
Then it runs on petrol at about 9.5 L/100 km, roughly $56.71 a week in NSW. The plug-in's running-cost advantage depends on charging it.
What about towing?
Check each car's braked towing capacity with the maker. Towing increases fuel and electricity use a lot, and a plug-in's electric range drops sharply with a trailer.
More comparisons
GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV against diesels
Toyota HiLux against plug-ins
How we work it out
Weekly cost is the car's claimed energy use (kWh per 100 km) × your distance × your electricity price. "Per week" figures on this site assume 250 km a week with 90% of charging at home. Petrol comparisons use the fuel use and price you choose. Prices are list prices at October 2026 and change often; check with the dealer.
- Electricity: 2026–27 default or regulated flat rates from the AER Default Market Offer (NSW, SE QLD, SA), Victorian Default Offer, Aurora Energy (TAS), Jacana Energy (NT), Synergy (WA) and ActewAGL (ACT).
- Public charging: Sydney survey of Chargefox, Evie, NRMA, Tesla and BP Pulse prices, July 2026.
- Car specs and prices: manufacturer figures as published by CarExpert, AEVA EV fact sheets, Drive and EV Central's car guide. Some prices are the publisher's estimates; check with a dealer.
- Servicing: published capped-price schedules (BYD Sealion 7, BYD Seal, Geely EX5, Jaecoo J5 EV, Kia EV5, Zeekr 7X). Tesla has no fixed service schedule and CarExpert's EV servicing comparison. Where a model's pricing isn't published yet we use the brand's nearest model and mark it as an estimate.
- Tyres: RACV puts EV tyre life at 20,000–40,000 km; replacement set prices from Gridly's 2026 EV tyre cost guide.
- Petrol and diesel: ACCC average retail unleaded and diesel prices in each capital city, 21 October 2026 (ACCC weekly fuel price monitoring).
- Plug-in hybrids: prices, battery sizes and claimed electric range from CarExpert, Cars24, Zecar and The Beep. Real-world electric range is taken as 80% of the claim; plug-ins charged at home each night are assumed to do up to 85% of driving on electricity. Petrol use with a flat battery is our estimate from reviews where makers don't publish one.
- Diesel utes and SUVs: claimed combined fuel use and prices from CarExpert, 4X4 Australia and CarSauce. The HiLux automatic, Prado and Mazda CX-60 D50e are 48-volt mild-hybrid diesels; their small battery assists the engine but can't drive the car on its own.
- Petrol mild hybrids (Suzuki Swift Hybrid, Mazda CX-60 G40e): claimed fuel use and prices from CarExpert.
- Hybrids: claimed fuel use, prices and capped-price servicing as published by CarExpert and CarsGuide. Petrol and hybrid tyres usually last 40,000–60,000 km (RACV); we use 50,000 km.
- Home chargers: typically $1,000–$3,000 installed, about $2,000 typical (What's the Damage, October 2026).
- Novated lease rules: PwC summary of the May 2026 FBT changes.