Less than six months after Geely Group announced a new outdoors-centric marque called Radar Auto, the nascent brand has launched its first electric pickup truck in China – the RD6. Production is officially underway overseas and order books have opened, starting at an MSRP around $25,000.
Radar Auto may be a new name to you, but Geely shouldn’t be. Geely Auto is an automotive subsidiary of the larger Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co., Ltd umbrella. The group is one of the top 10 largest automotive manufacturers in China and is the parent company to several EV brands we cover regularly, including JIDU, Lotus, Volvo Cars, and ZEEKR. Geely also co-owns Polestar alongside Volvo.
In November of 2021, we covered news out of China that Geely Auto had established an independent electric pickup truck marque spun out of the Geely Commercial Vehicle Group. At the time, the new brand was unnamed, but Geely insiders revealed that the company was already benchmarking Rivian as the new pickup standard, with plans to deliver an all-electric pickup truck of its own in China.
This past July, we learned the name of the Geely marque would be Radar Auto and got our first glimpse of its flagship pickup – the RD6. After opening pre-orders in late September, Radar Auto celebrated the official launch of the RD6 electric pickup in China this week as production kicks off.
RD6 electric pickups to arrive in China January 2023
Much of what we’ve recently learned about Radar Auto and its RD6 pickup has come from the automaker’s Weibo page, which has posted a myriad of images and video from the launch event and beyond.
Each RD6 electric pickup comes standard with a single motor that delivers up to 200 kW of power can accelerate from 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) in 6.9 seconds. Now that orders are open, Chinese customers can choose between three battery pack options offering the following CLTC ranges:
63 kWh – 400 km (249 mi)
86 kWh – 550 km (342 mi)
100 kWh – 632 km (393 mi)
The version of the RD6 with the 249 mile range starts at price of RMB 178,800, which is approximately $24,870. Although this electric pickup is only being sold in China right now, that level of pricing is significantly lower than any electric truck being sold in the US right now.
The 86 kWh battery pack is available on two different versions of the RD6 priced at RMB 198,800 ($27,650) and RMB 228,800 ($31,825). The top-tier, long range version is priced at RMB 268,800 ($37,390) which is still ridiculously affordable by US standards.
Other RD6 features include 6 kW vehicle-to-load (V2L) capabilities, plus 220V and 12V interfaces. Production is underway in China with first deliveries expected in January of 2023. Sadly, no plans for US sales just yet, but you never know.
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Leading electric vehicle analyst, author, and industry thought leaders Loren McDonald and Bill Ferro stop by Quick Charge to discuss EV Adoption’s acquisition by Paren, the “crisis” of EV charging reliability, and the real state of the EV market.
Depending on who you listen, EVs are either driving brands to record growth and are about cross that critical 10% of the overall market nationwide, or the future is bleak, the market is down, and EVs just aren’t selling. What’s really going on? Loren and Bill (probably) have some answers.
Today’s episode is sponsored by BLUETTI, a leading provider of portable power stations, solar generators, and energy storage systems. For a limited time, save up to 52% during BLUETTI’s exclusive Black Friday sale, now through November 28, and be sure to use promo code BLUETTI5OFF for 5% off all power stations site wide. Click here to learn more.
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Chevy EV owners in Texas who have Reliant as their electric utility can now charge for free at night with renewable energy.
Over 150 Chevrolet dealerships across Texas are now offering the Reliant Free Charge Nights plan to new EV buyers. With Free Charge Nights, customers can offset their charging costs by receiving credits for electricity used between 11 pm and 6 am. The plan is powered entirely by renewable energy, thanks to the purchase of renewable energy certificates (RECs).
Rasesh Patel, president of NRG Consumer, says the plan is about making power personal: “We’re excited to help Chevrolet EV drivers offset the cost of charging their vehicle all while having access to a renewable electricity plan.”
This collaboration aims to make EV adoption more appealing by making charging cheaper and greener. GM Energy’s chief revenue officer, Aseem Kapur, emphasized that partnerships like this help build the ecosystem needed to support an all-electric future: “The Reliant Free Charge Nights plan is a great example of how an automaker and an energy company can work together to make EV adoption an easy decision.”
Existing Reliant customers can also sign up for the Free Charge Nights plan. To get started, Chevrolet EV owners need to designate their vehicle on the GM Energy Smart Charging Portal before enrolling in the plan.
Reliant Energy, a subsidiary of NRG Energy, serves over 1.5 million customers in Texas, making it one of the largest electricity providers in the state.
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Texas is about to get a major power boost – a new AI-powered virtual power plant (VPP) delivering capacity equivalent to 200,000 homes during peak demand.
NRG Energy is teaming up with Renew Home to bring nearly 1 gigawatt (GW) of capacity to the Texas grid by 2035, aiming to make it more resilient while helping residents save on energy costs.
The new VPP will rely on hundreds of thousands of smart thermostats and other connected home devices, making use of AI technology provided by Google Cloud. These devices, like Vivint and Nest smart thermostats, will be offered to eligible customers at no cost. By automating HVAC adjustments, they help shift energy use to when electricity is cheaper, cleaner, and less strained.
NRG and Renew Home have big plans for the VPP. Starting in spring 2025, the companies plan to roll out the program across Texas, installing these smart thermostats in homes served by NRG’s retail electricity providers. Eventually, they plan to add home battery storage and EVs to expand the power plant’s capabilities.
Texas has faced record-breaking energy demands, with peak usage hitting 85 GW in 2023. As the state’s population grows and extreme weather becomes more frequent, VPPs like this one could play a key role in stabilizing the grid. VPPs aggregate a lot of small-scale energy resources, from smart thermostats to home batteries, and use them to help balance supply and demand during times of high stress on the grid.
This nearly 1 GW VPP will be one of the largest of its kind in Texas. NRG’s president of consumer operations, Rasesh Patel, calls it a “pivotal step” for improving customer experience while making Texas’ energy infrastructure more sustainable and resilient.
In addition to Renew Home, NRG is working with Google Cloud to maximize the power plant’s effectiveness. Google Cloud’s AI and analytics tools will help predict weather conditions, forecast renewable generation, and optimize energy usage, all of which will help make energy management smoother for both customers and the grid.
Ben Brown, CEO of Renew Home, said:
NRG’s commitment to creating a more resilient and sustainable energy future while also making electricity bills more affordable makes them an ideal partner for co-developing this unique VPP program.
This initiative raises the bar for future-proofing our electricity infrastructure and delivering cost savings to customers.
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