Is the Radar RD6 China's most promising electric Toyota HiLux or Ford Ranger rival? Why the new ute from Volvo's parent company is a big deal

Geely, the parent company of Volvo and Polestar, has revealed its first fully electric ute.

Launching under the brand’s new lifestyle marque, Radar, the HiLux-sized ute is dubbed the RD6.

It is said to pack a range of up to 600km on a single charge. Both rear-drive and four-wheel-drive variants of the RD6 are in the works, and power has been speculated from overseas outlets to range from around 150kW in base models to around 300kW in higher grades.

The RD6 appear to take influence from some of the clean body design elements of Rivian, with a more traditional face, oddly reminiscent of Geely’s Polestar or Volvo subsidiaries.

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Further details like exact dimensions or potential payload specs were not revealed, and the interior is yet to be seen, but Geely also has big plans for its new Radar brand, including a much larger full-size pickup more like a Ford F150 Lightning, a large SUV, and even an ATV.

According to the initial set of images, Radar will also release an entire range of camping and lifestyle accessories to go with its products. The brand is said to be primarily aimed at urban professionals looking for a vehicle which lets them escape city limits on the weekend rather than small businesses who may be searching for an electric pickup for work needs.

Full drivetrain specs for the RD6 are yet to be revealed.

It is not the only all-electric subsidiary of Geely, a brand which also fields an all-electric passenger car brand, Geometry, and also owns the London Electric Vehicle Company (LEVC) which now specialises in fully electric taxis and light commercial vehicles in the UK.

Expect more information on the RD6 closer to its September launch window overseas, but it does raise the question if we’ll ever see a Volvo or Polestar ute given the manufacturing synergies the brands seek in their Chinese manufacturing hubs.

The RD6 is based on Geely’s new all-electric modular Sustainable Experience Architecture (SEA) platform, which will also underpin the upcoming Polestar 4 mid-size SUV, Lotus Eletre mid-size SUV, and even cars under the rebooted Smart brand as part of a joint venture with Mercedes-Benz.

The SEA architecture can be FWD, RWD, or AWD.

The platform is scalable from small vehicles to even larger pickups, SUVs and vans, and Geely says it can be configured in front-wheel drive, rear-wheel drive, all-wheel drive, or even with a tri-motor design for high-performance applications.

Geely currently has no official plans to launch its domestic brands in Australia, although sees success in our market via its Polestar and Volvo subsidiaries, and has said in the past it has more global aspirations for some of its brands like Lynk & Co. Stay tuned as we learn more about Radar closer to the RD6’s launch.