Electric utes are all the buzz and it’s one EV segment where there aren’t any options currently available in Australia – yet. LDV has announced an electric ute for the local market but a new contender from Volvo parent Geely hints at a new wave of cheaper electric ute options.
Mass production and customer delivery of EV utes have seen many challenges by various brands across the world.
That could be set to change with the production of the Geely-owned Radar Auto brand producing their first batch of Radar R6 utes this week.
Prices start at under $A39,000
Radar Auto launched back in July this year and within two months has already produced its first batch of EV utes with prices equivalent to $US25,240, under $A39,000 in Australian dollars.
This first batch will be delivered to customers in the fourth quarter of this year.
The production of the Radar R6 was first reported by cnevpost. The “frunk” equipped ute can be reserved by local customers for 199 RMB which is under $50 Australian dollars.
120kW DC fast-charging
The Radar R6 also has 120kW DC fast charging capability allowing it to add 120km range in 15 minutes.
It is available in 3 models with 350km, 550km and 600km on the CLTC cycle. This is more or less in line with the Australian NEDC rating so actual range would come in around 250-420km depending on payload and driving conditions.
Radar R6 nearly as long as a Ford Ranger
The dimensions of the ute have also been released today. Specifications show the R6 is 5.26 metres long, which is a bit shorter than the 5.36 metres that the very popular Ford Ranger offers.
It’s also slightly shorter than the LDV T60, the electric version of which is on its way to Australia soon.
EV ute production at scale could mean more choice for Australia
Popular models like the Ford F150 lightning and Rivian R1T are already in great demand. However, global supply chain issues have limited production numbers resulting in long queues.
With LDV’s announcement yesterday to bring 3 EVs to Australia in the next 12 months, including their LDV eT60, it opens the market for many more EV ute options in Australia.
A company as large as Geely Automotive which owns brands like Polestar and Volvo cars is already supplying EVs to the Australian market. This makes it even more likely that we may see a similar EV ute by Geely like the Radar R6 hitting our shores in the next 24 months.
This can only be a positive sign of what’s to come as the variety of EV segments increases. More Australians can experience the practicality and comfort that EVs offer. That’s also the news many business and government fleets need as they start the transition to cleaner fleets.
Riz is the founder of carloop based in Melbourne, specialising in Australian EV data, insight reports and trends. He is a mechanical engineer who spent the first 7 years of his career building transport infrastructure before starting carloop. He has a passion for cars, particularly EVs and wants to help reduce transport emissions in Australia. He currently drives a red Tesla Model 3.