Radar picks up pick-ups
The Chinese giant Geely is expanding its already extensive portfolio with another new brand. We are introduced to Radar, which is starting its automotive adventure with an all-electric pick-up that will also be sold outside of China.
Geely is a truly gigantic Chinese company. The Geely Holding has a brand portfolio that now consists of a number of brands that can no longer be counted on two hands. Cars are sold under the Geely brand, but Geometry, Lynk & Co and even Proton are also part of the Chinese colossus. We are of course not there yet. Geely is also the parent company of Volvo, Polestar, Smart, Lotus and also owns Zeekr and LEVC. It also sells commercial vehicles under the brand name Farizon. Geely now adds another brand to this huge portfolio: Radar.
Radar RD6
Radar’s firstborn is the RD6, an all-electric pickup. Geely parks the RD6 on a small beach as an introduction, complete with surfboards and folding chairs. You can already feel it coming: Geely positions Radar as a lifestyle-Brand. A outdoor lifestylebrand, to be exact. In any case, it provides the RD6 with a set of power connections in the cargo box. Radar will not only make electric pick-ups, but also says it has electric SUVs and electric off-roaders in the barrel. All cars will be placed on Geely’s SEA platform, a basis called Sustainable Experience Architecture in full and which is available in various formats. Lotus applies the platform under its electric SUV Eletre, Smart parks the #1 on it, Polestar will use it for the 4 and in China makes the non-deliverable but announced for the European market sekr 001 also use it.
Radar RD6
Radar will release detailed technical specifications of the RD6 at a later stage. Looks like we’re dealing with an electric pick-up that falls in the same size category as the Toyota Hilux and Ford Ranger. The RD6 was designed under the direction of Peter Horbury, known for his work at Jaguar, Volvo and Aston Martin.
Radar is setting up its own development center in Hangzhou, China, and a production facility for Radar has been set up in Zibo. The first copies of the RD6 should reach the Chinese consumer in the fourth quarter of this year. Geely says that with Radar it is responding to the – according to the company – increased worldwide need to go into nature since the corona pandemic. You will therefore also encounter radar in other countries. It is not yet known whether the Netherlands is part of this.
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– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl