On July 12, Geely Group launched a new mid-to-high-end new energy vehicle brand, RADAR, which is named “雷达” in Chinese. RADAR Automobile Company was established by Geely Holding Group and develops in parallel with Geely’s own brands, Lynk & Co and Geometry, complementing each other.
With the popularity of electric pickups in the European and American markets and the continuous relaxation of policies on domestic pickups, many cities have further relaxed restrictions on pickups entering the city since 2022. The dual effects of policy and market have gradually shifted pickups from tool attributes to passenger-oriented and high-end attributes, and differentiated product layouts may be formed in the future.
At the same time, the popularity of outdoor activities has also added fuel to the development of pickups. According to data from iiMedia Research, from 2014 to 2021, the market size of camping sites in China increased from 7.71 billion yuan to 29.9 billion yuan. The willingness to travel tends to go to nature, and sophisticated camping and outdoor leisure have become a new trend of travel. Sedans, SUVs, MPVs and other categories of vehicles are the main choices for users’ travel. There is a lack of a truly outdoor-oriented model on the market. As the living radius gradually expands, user lifestyles become more diverse, and this also releases more possibilities.
RADAR RD6, the first pickup truck based on the SEA platform, made its debut. The RADAR RD6 is a pure electric pickup truck based on the SEA architecture. The overall vehicle design was completed by the British styling center, and the Lotus Engineering team performed the tuning.
RADAR RD6 has a large storage space suitable for outdoor use, equipped with a 70L hidden front trunk with an independent cover plate to prevent dust. The rear seat cushion can be flipped up, and the storage box under the seat cushion has a volume of 48L. After opening, it can form a through-loading space, and inconvenient objects can be placed.
I think the most practical function is the ultra-high-power discharge function. During vehicle driving, it can simultaneously supply power to multiple electrical devices in the rear bucket. The rear bucket is equipped with a multifunctional discharge panel, which supports 16A, 10A, three-plug, double-plug, and 12V interfaces. It can be connected to high-power electrical appliances without the need for adapter plugs and can support a maximum discharge power of 6 kW.
It was also announced at the press conference that the acceleration of RADAR RD6 could reach six seconds per hundred kilometers and its pure electric cruising range was over 600 kilometers.
In addition, RADAR, a lifestyle sub-brand focusing on outdoor activities, was launched during the press conference by Radar Car Brand. It was announced that they will collaborate with camping equipment brand Naturehike Nuke to develop a variety of outdoor camping and expansion equipment, and jointly launch the “Protecting Natural Wonders” project with the Chinese edition of National Geographic.
At the same time, Radar Car Brand will also cooperate with more brands such as Tuniu, Changhong, Gaode, Lifan Motor, etc. to explore more possibilities for outdoor lifestyles.
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.