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.
Nonetheless, sales of pickups fell 10 percent in the first five months of the year, against a 13 percent decline in passenger vehicles more broadly, data from the China Passenger Car Association showed, with the industry also hit by COVID restrictions.
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.
Geely may also seek to bring the trucks to the United States, the world’s largest pickup market, to compete with models from automakers such as Ford, Tesla and Rivian, Ling said.
China’s pickup market is currently dominated by Hebei-based Great Wall Motor, while foreign models include Ford’s F-150 Raptor and a $9,000 pickup truck launched by General Motors with its local joint venture last year.
Radar will add to the more than 10 passenger vehicle brands Geely owns, which include Zeekr and Polestar. It will produce the pickups at a plant in the eastern province of Shandong, the company said.
Geely previously rolled out a pickup with a combustion engine priced from 119,900 yuan ($17,815.75) two years ago.