Owners of brands like Volvo, Polestar and Lotus have unveiled a brand new electric vehicle, and its first product is a car.
Geely has officially launched Automatic Radar with the revelation of RD6 electronics, with deliveries in China to begin in Q4 2022.
Radar will also offer a “full portfolio” of “electric vehicles,” including pickup trucks, SUVs and even ATVs.
The RD6 has been designed under design veteran Peter Horbury, who served as Geely’s executive vice president of design.
It is underpinned by Geely’s new Sustainable Experiences Architecture, which also underpins the Zeekr 001 and Smart number 1and will offer both single- and dual-motor powertrains.
The dedicated EV architecture has also enabled front boot under the bonnet, as well as truck beds with “external charging devices”.
Geely has yet to announce any specs such as size, power and range for the RD6 Radar nor has it previewed the car’s interior.
CarNewsChina The RD6 reports an operating range of up to 600 km in the more lenient NEDC cycle, with power outputs ranging from 149kW to 298kW.
Geely has confirmed the SEA will support wireless updates and autonomous driving technology, and promises a maximum range in excess of 700km – again, according to NEDC measures.
The SEA architecture can accommodate everything from A-segment city cars to larger D and E-segment cars and can be configured with front, rear or all-wheel drive and one, two or three electric motor.
Geely has also previously said it may support a range extension option.
The company says Radar is “China’s first all-electric outdoor lifestyle vehicle brand” and “started with trucks but not just trucks”.
It says it is an independent brand within the broader Geely Holding Group and boasts its own R&D base in Hangzhou.
Geely says it will have “significant access” to electric vehicle technology from across larger groups.
Dr. Lin Shi Quan has been appointed as the CEO of Radar Auto. He’s a Geely veteran who also helped launch the Lynk & Co brand globally, with an Australian launch slated for 2025.
Its launch will also coincide with lifestyle sub-brand, Radar Weekends, which will partner with camping brand NatureHike to develop Radar vehicle accessories.
It’s not clear how big the RD6 is, and therefore what it will be up against.
If it is the same size with a length of about 5.3m Toyota Hiluxthe only direct rivals it will have are facilities such as Nissan Navara-based on Dongfeng Rich 6 EV and LDV’s T60-dute power-based base.
Those cars aren’t on a dedicated electric vehicle platform, however, and the RD6’s styling and proportions are similar to those of the 5.5m-long Rivian R1Ts.
