Geely's Riddara RD6 electric ute set for Australia

April 2024: Riddara RD6 electric ute looks bound for Australia

Way back in July 2022, Volvo parent Geely revealed a new electric ute through its Radar brand, the RD6. That ute is now the Riddara RD6, and it appears to be on its way here.

In a post to its LinkedIn page, Geely confirmed the electric RD6 has a right-hand-drive production schedule locked in, adding that it will be “available in your market soon”.

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The post doesn’t specify which countries were meant by the words “your market”, but it would seem a cruel oversight if it simply forgot that Australia is a right-hand-drive market.

As our earlier story below notes, Geely’s biggest western brand, Volvo, has been vocal about its interest in establishing the Riddara brand in Australia as its official importer.

“If that’s what they want to do and bring it [the Radar RD6] to Australia then that’s something we could do and help them with back office functions and training,” Volvo Australia boss Stephen Connor told Wheels in late 2022.

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Wheels Media has requested an update on Volvo’s position, but the company did not respond in time for publishing. We’ll update this story if a comment is provided.

Geely cancelled its Radar trademark in Australia in 2022 after resistance from Singaporean tyre company Omni United, which has a brand called Radar Tires. Geely registered a new trademark for Riddara in early 2023.

Mike Stevens

November 2022: Radar RD6 wanted in Australia

A door has opened that could see Geely’s new electric ute, the Radar Auto RD6, join the Aussie market place.

Volvo Australia has emerged as a potential candidate to import the Chinese ute in an arrangement that would double the number of electric dual-cabs available Down Under. Currently the only fully electric ute offered here is the upcoming LDV eT60 which launches locally in the middle of November.

Revealed earlier this year, the Radar RD6 is the first vehicle from Radar Auto which is a new lifestyle-orientated sub-brand from Chinese automotive giant Geely. Volvo is also owned by Geely and it’s that family connection that has caught the eye of Volvo Australia boss Stephen Connor.

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“What I’d love to do is talk to our Geely counterparts and say to them ‘we will be the sales company for you for Radar’,” Connor told Wheels. “That could be a possibility. It’s no different to them going to Ateco (the official importer of LDV, Maserati and RAM among others) or something like that.

“If that’s what they want to do and bring it [the Radar RD6] to Australia then that’s something we could do and help them with back office functions and training.”

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Radar Auto estimates the dual-cab segment will expand to 3 million annual sales in China by 2030 and has confirmed plans to build SUVs and even ATVs (all terrain vehicles) to be sold alongside its electric ute. The RD6 is Radar’s first model and will be built on Geely’s Sustainable Experience Architecture (SEA) which also underpins a host of current and upcoming models from Volvo, Lynk & Co and Polestar.

“It’s the same platform so we could do training for the team, we could do technical support and sales support,” said Connor. “I’d love to offer them that because I think it’d be a great way to broaden our skill sets plus also help at the retailer level.”

When asked if Volvo Australia has already approached Radar Auto or Geely about the opportunity, Connor replied: “No, not yet. We will do. We will do.”

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Official details on the Radar RD6 are scarce although it’s understood to be around 5.2 metres long and roll on a 3120mm wheelbase which makes it slightly smaller than a Ford Ranger. It’s also believed to be offered with three battery sizes: 66kWh, 86kWh or 100kWh. The largest battery is said to offer a range of 610km.

But it’s not just Radar that’s on the, er, radar for Volvo Australia. Conner added he sees potential in offering a similar importer arrangement to Lynk & Co.

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Lynk & Co 01 shares its underpinnings with the Volvo XC40

“Again we will offer them the same,” he said. “We will start that conversation with them and if they want to come they do, if they don’t, they’re a different company. So it’s no different to how we interact with Polestar. We work with Polestar to offer back office services, we offer them training and support but we treat each other like competitors.”

Lynk & Co has already confirmed it will have an official presence in Australia by 2025 so it’s unclear how Connor’s offer will impact those plans.

Similar to Cupra’s relationship with Volkswagen, Lynk & Co is the Geely Group’s youth-orientated sub-brand. It was established in 2016 and its current SUV and passenger car line-up shares platforms and powertrains with Volvo.

Like Volvo, Lynk & Co plans to launch five new electric models before 2025, all spun off Geely’s SEA architecture. The Chinese brand has an interesting approach to selling cars. While you can buy one of its models outright, in Europe most customers subscribe to their cars on rolling month-by-month contracts. The subscription includes the car, insurance and access to other benefits like music tickets and exclusive events. Lynk & Co is marketing the subscription service as a chance to "leave the ownershit behind".