The RD6 comes from a new brand created by Geely.

POTENTIAL another electric utility out of China, aimed even more at the recreational user than the LDV eT60 already confirmed, could be on the radar.

Quite literally. This week Geely, whose best-known products here are Volvo and Polestar, unveiled an electric double cab utility, targeting growing demand from city types with interest in outdoor activities, that will be from a new brand it has created, Radar Auto.

While full details of the Radar RD6 haven’t been revealed, Geely says the ute will offer up to 600km of driving range from a single charge – that’s almost double the cited range for the LDV eT60, which is soon to arrive for $79,990.

Radar says the RD6 will be produced for export.

Radar Auto sees itself Geely’s answer to America’s Rivian, offering electric adventure vehicles in the form of utes and SUVs, “as well as ATVs and other lifestyle products”.

Based on a new platform called the Sustainable Experience Architecture (SEA), the Radar RD6 is expected to launch in China in September.

Radar chief executive Linq Shiquan says trhe ute market in China is not big at the moment, but shows huge potential: Three million units in China by 2030 is predicted.

“More people are pursing a healthy lifestyle with more outdoor activities while the governments are also relaxing restrictions for pickups in cities. Those changes are supporting the growth of pickup trucks,” Ling said at a brand conference this week.

Utes have traditionally been considered a niche segment in China where they are mostly used by farmers. They are still banned from most urban roads despite trials since 2016 allowing entry to select areas in several cities and urging from Beijing to speed up the removal of red tape.

Interest in the vehicles is growing among the country's urban residents who are taking up outdoor pursuits as Covid-19 measures discourage gatherings and severely hit domestic and international travel, a report from Reuters said.

Ling said Geely aims to start offering the RD6 to Chinese consumers in the fourth quarter while the company is also studying Southeast Asian markets for potential expansion opportunities.