Geely presents new “lifestyle vehicle” subsidiary
Chinese car company Geely has unveiled Radar Auto, a new brand of electric “lifestyle vehicles” such as pickup trucks, SUVs and all-terrain vehicles (ATVs). The first product is the RD6 pickup truck, which is scheduled to go into production in the fourth quarter of 2022. Details are to follow at a later date.
Radar is to be launched as an independent brand within the Geely Holding Group, according to a statement. It said this will give it access to vehicle technologies and common components for electric vehicles. The brand also has its own research and development facility in Hangzhou and an electric vehicle manufacturing plant in Zibo, Shandong, from where production and delivery of the Radar RD6 will begin.
The Radar RD6 is based on Geely’s Sustainable Experience Architecture (SEA), which gives the vehicle an extensive technological foundation, for example, with the options for a dual-motor system, a frunk and a cargo area with external charging capabilities. Geely does not give details of the vehicle’s performance and range in the announcement, but states that these will be revealed “in due course”.
A number of electric vehicle models from different brands will be built on the SEA platform, which was unveiled in 2020, in the future, as Geely’s holdings are known to be far-flung. There are already concrete indications of the use of SEA at Lynk & Co. and Zeekr, but also at Volvo Cars and Smart, as well as at the Chinese tech group Baidu. One example is the Zeekr 001: The five-metre-long e-limo comes with an electric all-wheel drive to 400 kW of power and is offered with two battery options (86 and 100 kWh). At the other end is the Smart #1, which is 4.27 metres long and has a 66 kWh battery installed.
The brand’s development was supported by automotive designer Peter Horbury from his design studio in the UK. “The Radar product portfolio is focused on electric pick-up trucks and SUVs, this direction challenges us to mix functionality and usability with aesthetic form,” he explains. “Our aim is to let Radar users expand their horizons and explore nature in a sustainable way.”
Engineer Ling Shi Quan has been appointed CEO of Radar. “Understanding this new market segment and creating a new brand specifically for these unique users has been the highlight of my career so far,” he says. “Radar Auto will be purpose-driven from the outset and that purpose is to allow users to explore the world in a more sustainable way.”
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