Shark-rivalling Riddara RD6 PHEV not for South Africa for now
With pricing still to be announced, Riddara importer, Enviro Automotive, has confirmed that the plug-in hybrid (PHEV) version of the Geely-owned brand's bakkie has, for the moment, not been given approval for the local market.
Partial electrification
Known as the Horizon in China and sold by Riddara under its domestic market name of Radar Auto as the Radar Horizon, the hybrid version made its world debut in May as the Horizon King Kong EM-P with an unchanged interior and exterior from the EV version.
ALSO READ: Riddara RD6 no longer an EV-only as new plug-in hybrid debuts
Renamed Riddara RD6 in certain other export markets, the EM-P combines Geely's in-house developed 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine with a 19-kWh battery pack powering two electric motors.
The result is a combined output of 260kW/914Nm, a claimed 0-100 km/h sprint time of 6.3 seconds, and an all-electric range of 100 km on China's CLTC ratings.
PHEV vs EV
By comparison, the electric RD6, which had been expected to debut at the Nampo Agricultural Expo in Bothaville in the Free State that some months ago, makes use of a 73-kWh lithium phosphate battery pack that powers either a single or a pair of electric motors.
Pricing for the Riddara RD6 in South Africa hasn't yet been given. Image: Enviro Automotive
In the case of the single motor rear-wheel-drive variant, outputs stand at 200kW/384Nm, which enables it to get from 0-100 km/h in 7.3 seconds and on to a top speed of 185 km/h. The claimed all-electric range is 424 km.
The dual-motor all-wheel-drive outputs 315kW/595Nm, which translates to a top speed of 190 km/h, 0-100 km/h in 4.5 seconds and the same 424 km range.
Reason…
Inclusive of a five-year/150 000 km warranty and an eight-year/200 000 km battery warranty, the EV RD6's imminent price reveal won't lead to the arrival of the hybrid as a rival for the BYD Shark and the GWM P500 PHEV.
In a reply to The Citizen, Enviro Automotive attributes this to the PHEV not being available with right-hand drive at present.
As such, only the electric variant will prevail at a 'significant price reduction', the importer says, which will make it a 'compelling and economically sound alternative to [its] internal combustion engine counterparts'.
NOW READ: Riddara RD6 plugged-in as South Africa's first electric bakkie
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