Final 12 months Geely Group, the proprietor of Volvo vehicles and Polestar, unveiled a brand new model providing electrical utes. It’s known as the Radar RD6, with a price ticket of below $A40,000.
Now Geely has introduced on Twitter/X that the primary batch of the RD6 has been shipped from its Zibo Good manufacturing facility.
The primary export batch of Geely’s electrical pickup vans was despatched off in the present day from the Zibo Good Manufacturing unit. Clean crusing! pic.twitter.com/ZB2h5NoiIt
— Geely Group (@GeelyGroup) July 25, 2023
Dimension-wise the RD6 is barely barely shorter than the favored Ford Ranger, Australia’s second finest promoting ute:
5,260 mm in size
1,900 mm in width
1,830 mm in peak
In the case of the drivetrain, the Radar RD6 has a 200 kW motor which gives loads of energy and might speed up the ute from 0 – 100 km/h in 6.9 seconds. That’s a lot faster than many ICE utes available on the market.
The Radar RD6 is powered by two battery packs, beginning with a smaller 63 kWh battery. This could present as much as 400 km of NEDC vary, which in real-world circumstances, could be extra like 300km. That’s lots for a mean every day commute to work and again for many drivers.
There may be additionally a top-of-the-range variant that comes with a 100 kWh battery pack. This could ship as much as 632 km of NEDC vary. Primarily based on that, it’s anticipated to have a WLTP vary of round 500 km when unloaded.
For some comparability, the LDV ute obtainable in Australia has an 89 kWh battery pack. Within the US, the 2023 Ford F150 Lightning has a 98 kWh battery pack in its customary vary mannequin whereas the prolonged vary battery pack tops out at 131 kWh.
On the security entrance, this electrical ute additionally gives driver help and security options which embrace:
Autonomous Emergency Braking
Rear Collision Warning
Rear Cross Site visitors Alert
![radar electric ute](https://b2232832.smushcdn.com/2232832/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/2022071301510422-1160x693.webp?size=1160x0&lossy=1&strip=0&webp=1)
The cross-traffic alert system is useful given the size that comes with the ute tray. To high that off, vehicle-to-load expertise can be on supply for tenting or working energy instruments (may even cost a laptop computer) on web site.
The Radar RD6 is obtainable in 4 variants and begins on the equal of $A36,890 for the entry-level mannequin. That’s cheaper than many ICE dual-cab utes obtainable post-Covid ute market.
![Radar RD6 Camping Canopy](https://b2232832.smushcdn.com/2232832/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Radar-RD6-Camping-Canopy.jpg?lossy=1&strip=0&webp=1)
The subsequent variant within the lineup has an even bigger battery with a higher vary and is priced at $A41,010. There may be additionally a premium model of this variant which is priced on the equal of $A48,070.
The highest-of-the-range RD6 is obtainable with the most important battery and is available in on the equal of $A55,480 in its native market.
At this stage, it’s unclear the place the primary market to obtain this electrical ute is, however we are going to maintain a detailed eye on it given Australia’s affinity with utes which additionally must go electrical for a cleaner future.
![Riz Akhtar](https://b2232832.smushcdn.com/2232832/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Riz.jpg?size=100x100&lossy=1&strip=0&webp=1)
Riz is the founding father of carloop based mostly in Melbourne, specialising in Australian EV knowledge, perception reviews and tendencies. He’s a mechanical engineer who spent the primary 7 years of his profession constructing transport infrastructure earlier than beginning carloop. He has a ardour for vehicles, notably EVs and needs to assist scale back transport emissions in Australia. He presently drives a crimson Tesla Mannequin 3.