Electric Riddara a likely starter Down Under

GEELY-OWNED ute brand, Radar Auto, has been busy rebranding its RD6 electric ute to right-hand drive and has renamed it ‘Riddara’, ahead of its introduction into Australia.

According to Geely, the Radar brand is its “high-end new energy outdoors lifestyle vehicle brand”, which is a convoluted way of saying it is their ute brand.

So far, though, it only has one model, the RD6 ute it released back in 2022 (pictured).

In April this year, Geely announced the Radar brand will expand to international markets and among those listed were Thailand, Australia and New Zealand.

Given Geely has just established its first Radar subsidiary in Thailand, which is where the majority of Australia’s dual-cab ute models are produced, it is likely that the next stop is Down Under, however no official announcement has been made.

An ambiguous LinkedIn post from Geely’s global page a few months back showed images of the Riddara, with a caption that read: “Exciting news! Get ready for the release of an RHD electric pick-up truck, available in your market soon!”.

While it was not an official confirmation, per se, Geely has spoken openly about wanting to roll out the ute globally and there are other hints that Australia is hot on its radar. The Riddara name was trademarked in Australia by Geely early last year, which clearly signals its intent.

The Riddara does not appear to be any different to the RD6, aside from branding, but the right-hand drive model will be rear-wheel drive, not all-wheel drive, and will use a single 200kW/384Nm motor with either a 63kWh or 86kWh battery.

A driving range of 385km for the standard 63kWh battery and 517km for the 86kWh long-range option puts the mid-size ute ahead of its one competitor, the LDV eT60 with its 330km of range.

The Riddara uses Geely’s SEA monocoque architecture, as opposed to the ladder-frame chassis design usually found on utes, which means a braked towing capacity of around 2500kg and a payload of between 755 and 755kg depending on battery type.

Australians will have to wait to find out more, but an announcement in the not-too-distant future is likely.