Riddara RD6 electric bakkie penned-in for Nampo showing

Announced last month as being lined up for introduction in May, Enviro Automotive has confirmed that the all-electric Riddara RD6 bakkie will make its first public showing at the Nampo Agricultural Expo in Bothaville in the Free State from this coming Tuesday,13 May.

“The Riddara 4×4 electric bakkie is not merely an addition to our lineup; it’s a declaration of intent. It unequivocally demonstrates the power and versatility of electric vehicles in tackling even the most demanding tasks,” Enviro Automotive Head of Sales, Francois Malan, said in a statement.

Announcing well-known plant and agricultural firm Turner Morris as its distribution partner, Enviro Automotive further stated that it has “implemented significant price reductions” across the RD6 range, which it adds makes it a “compelling and economically sound alternative to [its] internal combustion engine counterparts”.

South Africa’s first EV bakkie

While shown with a plug-in hybrid powertrain at the Shanghai International Motor Show last month, the RD6, known as the Radar Horizon in China, will be an EV-only offering in South Africa a choice of two-wheel-drive or four-wheel-drive.

On sale in its home market since 2022, the Geely-owned brand’s newcomer rides on the unibody Sustainable Experience Architecture (SEA) platform developed by fellow brand Zeekr, and first introduced to South Africa last year as the underpinning for the Volvo EX30.

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Seemingly not affiliated to Geely’s imminent return to the local market, the double cab-only RD6 has a claimed payload of 1 030kg, a tow rating of 3 000kg, wading depth of 815mm and ground clearance of 225mm.

Capable of accommodating 1 200 litres in its loadbin, the lack of an engine translates to an additional 70 litres of storage underneath its bonnet.

Spec

Known specification items on both variants will include the following:

• dual-zone climate control;
• keyless entry;
• push-button start;
• LED head and taillights;
• six-speaker sound system;
• 10.25-inch instrument cluster;
• leather upholstery;
• tyre pressure monitor;
• electric driver’s seat;
• reverse camera;
• rear parking sensors
• drive mode selector (Eco, Comfort and Sport)

Building on the two-wheel-drive, the four-wheel-drive will feature four additional off-road driving modes: Sand, Mud, Wading and Off-Road, Matrix LED headlights, an eight-speaker sound system, and the following safety and driver assistance systems:

• Automatic Emergency Braking;
• Adaptive Cruise Control;
• Rear Cross Traffic Alert with Reverse Automatic Braking;
• Lane Keep Assist
• Front Collision Warning;
• Lane Departure Warning
• Blind Sport Monitoring;
• Lane Change Assist

As standard, the two-wheel-drive comes equipped with a 12.3-inch infotainment system and the four-wheel-drive with a 14.6-inch display, neither with Android Auto, which is substituted by the CarbitLink mirroring app. Apple CarPlay integration is, however, standard.

One or two motors

On the power front, the initial range will consist of two powertrains: a single motor powered by a 73-kWh lithium phosphate battery pack and a dual motor that adds a secondary electric motor to the front axle.

In the two-wheel-drive, the RD6 will produce 200kW/384Nm and get from 0-100 km/h in 7.3 seconds. The claimed top speed is 185 km/h and the all-electric range 424 km.

With the added electric motor, the four-wheel-drive develops 315kW/595Nm, which allows it to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.5 seconds.

The claimed all-electric range mirrors that of the two-wheel-drive, while the top speed is pegged at 190 km/h.

Supporting DC charging up to 110kw, the RD6’s battery will require 30 minutes to charge from 30% to 80%. In addition, the setup’s vehicle-to-load capability allows for as much as six kilowatts to be fed back into the grid.

More soon

Set to be sold with a five-year/150 000 km warranty and an eight-year/200 000 km battery warranty, expect details about the RD6’s price tag to be announced soon.

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