Chinese automaker Geely Group announced a new outdoors-centric marque called Radar Auto less than six months ago. The developing brand launched its first electric pickup truck in China, the RD6, as per Electrek.
Production is officially ongoing overseas, and order books have opened, beginning at a manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of about $25,000.
Radar Auto may be a new name to some, but chances are, Geely may not be. Geely Auto is an automotive subsidiary of the larger Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co., Ltd umbrella.
The company is one of China’s top 10 largest automotive manufacturers and is the parent company to some EV brands, including Volvo Cars, Lotus, JIDU, and ZEEKR. Alongside Volvo, Geely co-owns Polestar.
In November last year, Geely Auto established an independent electric pickup truck marque out of the Geely Commercial Vehicle Group. The new brand was unnamed then, but Geely insiders stated that the company is marking Rivian as the new pickup standard and plans to offer its fully-electric pickup truck in China.
Notably, after opening pre-orders in September, Radar Auto celebrated the official launch of the RD6 in China as production kicked off.
RD6 battery pack options
Each RD6 electric pickup comes standard with a single motor that offers up to 200 kW of power and can go from 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) in 6.9 seconds. Now that orders are open, Chinese consumers can choose between three battery pack options in the following CLTC ranges:
- 63 kWh – 400 km (249 miles)
- 86 kWh – 550 km (342 miles)
- 100 kWh – 632 km (393 miles)
The version of the RD6 with the 249-mile range starts at a price of RMB 178,800 (approximately $24,870). Although this is currently only sold in China, that cost is lower than any electric truck sold in the US.
In addition, the 86 kWh battery pack is available in two different RD6 versions for RMB 198,800 ($27,650) and RMB 228,800 ($31,825).
The top-tier, long-range version costs around RMB 268,800 ($37,390), which is still affordable by US standards.
RD6 additional features & delivery date
Other features of the electric pickup consist of plus 220V, 12V interfaces, and 6 kW vehicle-to-load (V2L) capabilities. Production is ongoing in China, with first deliveries expected in January next year.
There are no plans for US sales just yet.
