Back in 2022, The Driven reported the first Geely electric ute rolling off the production line in a big step for the affordable fully electric pickup truck market.
Now, almost three years later, this revolutionary ute with up to 3 tonnes of towing capacity has launched across the ditch in New Zealand, with a starting price of equivalent to $A63,300.
According to a report from AutocarNZ, Geely will be relabelling the original RD6 model as Riddara RD6 Pro in the New Zealand market and will be brought into the market by NordEast Distributors.
Along with the 3-tonne towing capacity, the RD6 also has a 1,030 kg payload and delivers up to 360 km of WLTP range, thanks to a 73 kWh battery.
This ute also has V2L capabilities with a 6 kW discharge rate with charging points available in the frunk, cabin, on the side of the ute and in the ute’s bed itself.
The towing capacity and payload figures exceed those of the very popular BYD Shark 6 PHEV ute, which has taken both the Australian and New Zealand markets by storm this year.
On the powertrain front, the Riddara will be delivered to the NZ market with 315 kW, enabling a 0-100 km/h sprint in just 4.5 seconds.
On the inside, the new Riddara RD6 uses a large centre screen along with an instrument cluster screen behind the steering wheel.
Underneath the centre screen are the air conditioning vents, which are pretty typical of most vehicles in the market.
This ute comes with 7 selectable customised driving modes which include Economy, Comfort, Sport, Off-road, Wading, Sand and Mud.
The first RD6 rolled off the production lines in September 2022 with a starting price of under $A40,000. Since then, the brand has launched this vehicle in multiple markets.
In July 2024, Geely Group, the owner of Volvo cars, Polestar and Geely brands, shared the news of the RD6’s launch in right-hand-drive markets, starting with Thailand.
In recent months, it’s expanded into markets such as Singapore, where the RD6 is offered in both 2WD and AWD powertrain configurations.
This is an exciting announcement for electric work vehicle buyers in New Zealand, but at this stage it’s unclear whether this electric ute would be offered in Australia. Expressions of interest are now open in New Zealand for interested buyers.
We will keep a close eye on it, given Australia’s affinity with utes and many fleets across the country awaiting the launch of compelling zero-emission vehicles in this very popular segment.
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.