The number of EV models in the Australian market continues to grow with multiple new models making it to the roads every quarter in 2024. What we are yet to see are compelling electric utes.
Now an electric ute is heading to a key right-hand-drive market much closer to home.
Geely Group, the owner of Volvo cars and Polestar, has shared the news on its social media channels that an electric ute will be launching in Thailand in the coming months. “Geely electric pickups on the way to Thailand,” it says in a post.
The latest update was first brought to our attention by an EV enthusiast and regular reader of The Driven, Richard L.
Geely Group aims to call the ute brand “Riddara” in Thailand, and in the image on the post, it also highlights a potential launch month of November 2024.
Geely electric pickups on the way to Thailand pic.twitter.com/YFRsLlUtFj
— Geely Group (@GeelyGroup) July 3, 2024
The ute was first unveiled in China back in 2022 under the brand name of Radar. The first ute, named the the Radar RD6, came with a price tag of under $A40,000.
Since then, it’s been anticipated that this product was going to be heading into international ute-friendly markets like Thailand, Australia and New Zealand.
Then in April 2024, just over 18 months after its original unveiling, the company has announced that this ute is ready to be released in international right-hand-drive markets outside of China.
In China, the RD6 is offered in 4 variants, which start at the equivalent of $A36,890 for the entry-level model. This price is much cheaper than many ICE dual-cab utes available in the Australian market.
This variant has a 63 kWh battery which is bumped up to 100 kWh in more premium variants where the top-spec variant is offered for circa $A55,000.
The offering of a right-hand-drive ute in the Thailand market is very positive news as it means that it could be built and delivered to more right-hand-drive markets like ours in Australia.
Given the top two vehicles in sales last month were utes, it’s an important segment that we will keep an eye on as it could be the start of multiple zero-emission vehicle options in the market that won’t ruin the weekend.
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.