On November 9th, 2022, the new energy sub-brand of Geely Group, Radar Automobile, launched its first product – RD6. It is priced between 178,800 to 268,800 yuan with detailed configurations shown below:
- Yueye Edition (100 kWh, range of 632 km) for 268,800 yuan;
- Yuedu Edition (86 kWh, range of 550 km) for 228,800 yuan;
- Chuangke Edition (86 kWh, range of 550 km) for 198,800 yuan;
- Qihang Edition (63 kWh, range of 400 km) for 178,800 yuan.
This car is based on the native pure electric pickup M.A.P platform, which supports a maximum power output of 400 kW and a battery of 140 kWh, with a maximum range of over 800 km+. Among the current new energy vehicle models, this is one of the few pure electric pickups that come from a pure electric platform.
However, at present, the maximum battery capacity installed on the Radar RD6 is only 100 kWh, and the official CLTC range is 632 km. For users who are interested in purchasing a pickup truck and have certain outdoor demands, the official CLTC range of 632 km is still somewhat limited for long-distance interprovincial travel.
Subsequent larger models may be equipped with a 140 kWh battery and achieve a range of 800 km+. For the 63 kWh battery, it is more suitable for city use.
Power is also a very important point for pickups, and the Radar RD6 is equipped with a 200 kW motor with a maximum torque of 384 N·m, which has the same parameters as the motor of the Extreme E SUV Model 001. On the chassis, it comes standard with independent suspension with front MacPherson and rear multi-link.
The absence of a version with four-wheel drive and dual motors, as well as a minimum ground clearance of 180 mm, makes the Radar RD6 a little further away from the outdoors. However, pure electric models will have a certain risk of battery-pack collision with the vehicle’s chassis during off-road driving. However, in terms of battery safety, the M.A.P platform has cloud-based vehicle-electronic management, which can achieve no thermal spread and no fire, and can automatically cut off power within 10 ms. Currently, it is not recommended that you drive a pure electric model across mountains and seas at this stage.
The length, width, and height of the radar RD6 are 5,260 x 1,900 x 1,830 mm respectively, and the wheelbase reaches 3,120 mm. The overall dimensions are close to those of a mid-sized SUV, but compared to well-known large-sized trucks like the Ford F-150, Jeep Gladiator, and Tesla Cybertruck, it does not have the advantage in length, width, and height. However, the benefit is that this car is more suitable for use in cities.
With the popularity of new energy vehicles and camping concepts, people’s demand for vehicle-to-external discharge is gradually increasing. The radar RD6 is equipped with a 6 kW power supply directly in the rear bin. It has two 220 V / 16 A sockets, two 220 V / 10 A sockets, and can discharge from one car to another. In addition, there are two 12 V charging ports, and the vehicle can be powered on whether it is driving or locked, greatly improving its practicality.
The cargo compartment size of Radar RD6 reaches 1,525 x 1,459 x 540 mm, which is completely sufficient for Ikea shopping, fishing, camping and more. In addition, RD6 also has an extra front trunk space with a volume of 70L, and even a valuable item storage space specially prepared for the rear seat, which also reaches 48L. In daily use, the storage space of Radar RD6 is not a concern, and as a pickup truck, it achieves practicality as it should.
In terms of the cabin, Radar RD6 is equipped with a 12.3-inch LCD instrument panel and central control, and also has a 9-inch HUD head-up display. The car comes with the company’s own Galaxy OS, but the interface is mainly practical, without too much theme decoration.
Radar RD6 officially stated that it is designed to focus on riding, so in terms of interior design, it leans more towards the style of passenger cars, which is similar to SUVs, adding relatively outdoor and tough straight lines in the design, and the style is still practicality-oriented.
From today until February 8th next year, you can enjoy the benefits of unlocking the five major listed rights, including optional gold, home charging piles, maintenance, and more, for 5,000 yuan.
Official statement from Radar: Customers who purchase cars currently will be able to receive their cars from this month to the first quarter of next year, and the delivery period is quite fast. It is reported that Radar will have full-size SUVs, full-size pickups, ATVs, and other models in the future. Therefore, Radar’s selling point is still mainly focused on outdoor activities. In this field, Radar can be considered the first mover.
Source: Radar Automotive
This article is a translation by ChatGPT of a Chinese report from 42HOW. If you have any questions about it, please email bd@42how.com.