The Aussie ute electric market will be getting some shock treatment when the Geely Riddara RD6 electric ute arrives. Due in Australia before 2025 is this Chinese-built electric ute which will face off against stalwart combustion-engined rivals and also new electric rivals in one of Australia’s most hotly-contested market segments.
“Geely RD6″ redirects here. The Riddara RD6, sold in China as the Radar RD6, has been announced for an Australian launch after Geely Holding Group revealed it would enter the Thai market in November 2024. The Thai market launch is an important step as it supports right-hand drive production that will be required for the Australian market.
The Name Riddara and Australian Strategy
The Riddara nameplate itself has an interesting history. Geely went for the name “Riddara” instead due of trademark issues, being the “Radar” brand used by a tire brand from Singapore that is present in the Australian market. In Australia, Geely abandoned the Radar trademark in 2022 before registering the new Riddara trademark in early 2023, indicating its plans for the Australian market.
Radar Auto, a sub-brand of Zhejiang Geely Holding Group with a recreational lifestyle focus, is responsible for the Riddara RD6. The vehicle is the company’s first foray into utility vehicles, making use of Geely’s extensive knowledge of EV from the ownership of brands like Volvo, Polestar, Smart, Zeekr, and Lotus.
Electric powertrain: Some really great specs
The Riddara RD6 is a big slice of electric power and range in the salty ute segment. The truck is motivated by a single 200kW/384Nm electric motor that can be paired with two battery options. Its entry-level version is powered by 63kWh lithium-ion battery that delivers a maximum range as much as 385km (according to the Chinese CLTC standard), while the range for the higher-end battery option (86kWh) is even more generous at a claimed 517km.
Both powertrains apparently can accelerate from 0-100km/h in 7.6 seconds, levels that can be fast-charged from 30-80 percent in about 30mins on DC power, though the actual maximum charge rate hasn’t been confirmed. This places the Riddara RD6 competitively in the burgeoning electric ute space.
The Riddara RD6 is sold as a single-motor rear-wheel drive in the US, though in China it is available as a dual-motor all-wheel drive, known as the Horizon. However, it’s not yet clear what drivetrain options will be offered to Australian buyers.
Contemporary in Style and Construction
Unlike most utes there in Australia currently vying for your custom, the RD6 is based on a variant of the Geely Sustainable Experience Architecture (SEA) known as the Multiplex Attached Platform. In other words, the RD6 was built upon a monocoque and not a ladder frame, with a front MacPherson strut suspension and rear multi-link independent suspension layout.
The platform architecture is shared with other Geely Group vehicles, including the Volvo EX30, Polestar 4, Smart #1 and Zeekr X, evidencing the company’s brand-leading, successful and technologically ambitious strategic approach to electric vehicle development across its brand portfolio.
Size, Capacity, and Features
In terms of dimensions, the export-spec RD6 is 5260mm long, 1900mm wide, 1865mm tall and rides on a 3120mm wheelbase, which puts it in the same overall size ballpark as a Mazda BT-50 or Isuzu D-MAX dual cab. The RD6 is about the same size as a Nissan Navara, with a tub a shade smaller than the Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger.
Ground clearance is rated at 220mm and there’s a 2500kg braked towing capacity, with payloads rated at between 755-775kg depending on the size of the battery pack you opt for. Though these are reasonable figures, Geely’s upper-end payload figure and slightly lower tow rating compared to conventional diesel utes (it can tow 3.5 tonnes when fitted with tow hitch, while a typical one-tonne ute can tow 3.5 tonnes unbraked) suggests it could be a lifestyle option rather than the hardcore conventional ute.
Key features include vehicle-to-load (V2L) capability, allowing users to power their business tools with its maximum 15kW of output off of the fast charging port, 6kW from the discharge panel on the tub, or 2.2kW from the panel in the storage cavity. That way owners can use the van as a power source when they need it powering tools, camping equipment, etc.
Real World driving Dynamic Performance
Initial reviews indicate the Riddara RD6 Ute has excellent driving precision. The truck is also said to stay flat and cool through the twisties, with a confident steering rack that steers clear of the wallowy understeer many pickup trucks show. The brake and throttle pedals are said to be very well formatted in progressive manner as well, which hints that Geely is aiming for a premium driving experience.
The Riddara provides various driving modes such as Sport and Economy, adjustable energy recovery settings and that allow one-pedal driving with strong deceleration if you lift off the throttle. These details are further indicators of the vehicle’s dual role as a serious but future-forward ute (pickup in American language) as well as an all-electric automobile.
Marketplace Competitive Positioning
When it arrives, the Riddara RD6 will face an electric ute market in Australia that is starting to fill up. It will rival the LDV eT60 and the incoming 2025 wave including the BYD Shark and Kia Tasman, as well as established internal-combustion favourites like the Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux.
“We are looking forward to seeing first-hand how the RD6 performs in the real world, utilising its high-quality local engineering and testing,” one industry observer told us. “It promotes innovation, particularly because it doesn’t fit any stereotypes about dual cab 4x4utes today.” Rather, the behaviour of the vehicle under acceleration and ride quality, for example, has been likened to a well sorted performance large SUV rather than a ute as we’ve come to know them.
Distribution and Warranty
It’s unclear how Geely will price and sell the Riddara in Australia. Geely’s own Volvo and Polestar, alongside Lotus – which Geely jointly owns with Etika – are already present in the Australian marketplace, and Zeekr is expected to launch before the end of 2024, offering potential distribution channels. “Down the track, if that’s what they want to do and bring it themselves [the Radar RD6] to Australia then that’s something we could do and help them with back office things and the training etc.”
When it comes to after-sales, you get a 4-year/100,000km warranty on the RD6 in the UAE, while the battery pack and electric motor come in for an 8-year/200,000km warranty too. And similar warranty terms would likely apply to Australian models.
A New Era for Australian Utes
With A New Electric Ute - The Geely Riddara RD6 – Australia’s EV Journey Gathers Momentum, Says GlobalData The Geely Riddara RD6 is a significant development for Australia from the perspective of our drive toward electric utility vehicles. As a balance of practicality, modern electrical powertrain and innovation, it’s hard to beat and it’s a far cry from its early electric ute counterparts.
Its range and charge time will hold it back from being popular with tradespeople looking to charge and get back on the job, but the RD6 Riddara makes sense as an urban daily driver and a weekend blast. As Australia’s charging infrastructure expands and electric cars become less of a rarity, the Riddara RD6 is well placed to capture a portion of a growing crop of truck buyers who are environmentally aware but don’t want to give up capability or performance.
Due by late-2025, the Australian ute market is bracing for an electrifying kind of revolution, and the Geely Riddara RD6 will almost certainly be among the leading edge of charge.