Geely Auto South Africa (GASA) has launched the fully electric Riddara bakkie in South Africa at a starting price of just more than R600 000.

“The Riddara changes the conversation around electric bakkies,” says GASA COO Greg Maruszewski.

“Electric vehicles have always had the potential to deliver exceptional performance, but the Riddara demonstrates that this doesn't have to come at the expense of the qualities that make a bakkie so versatile.

“The Riddara delivers the performance and dynamic response of a high-performance car, but it can also carry more than a ton, tow up to three tons, and tackle demanding terrain. For us, that combination is what makes the Riddara genuinely different.”

Geely says the Riddara is based on the MAP Platform, which has been engineered to combine passenger-vehicle refinement with bakkie capability.

“It’s a bakkie that drives like an sports-utility vehicle, but performs like a bakkie,” says GASA product head Jateen Daya.

“We aim to reshape the way South Africa experiences bakkies, without the...operating costs that have become synonymous with other bakkies.”

At the top of the South African range, the Apex RD6 four-wheel-drive model has a dual-motor, all-wheel-drive system producing a combined 315 kW of power and 595 Nm of torque, enabling a zero to 100 km/h travel time of 4.5 seconds.

Range is claimed as 424 km in a combined cycle.

For drivers venturing beyond the tar, the RD6 offers dedicated drive modes including economy, comfort, sport, sand, mud and off-road.

The vehicle has 225 mm ground clearance and a 815 mm wading depth.

The bakkie can also transform into a mobile source of electricity, allowing owners to power equipment, appliances and outdoor activities, or to provide an additional source of power during an electricity outage.

Inside the RD6 Apex has a 14.6-inch infotainment display, 10.2-inch digital driver display, wireless charging and an eight-speaker audio system.

Premium touches on the Apex include a panoramic roof, leather upholstery and ventilated front seats.

Storage space includes 48 l under the seats and 70 l in the trunk.

Geely says the Riddara range launches with three derivatives, giving customers a choice between performance, four-wheel-drive capability and value.

The Aspire Econ two-wheel drive, with its claimed 369 km range, starts at R611 900, while the Aspire Econ four-wheel-drive is priced at R681 900, and the Apex at R781 900.

Geely is selling the vehicles with an added six year/150 000 km vehicle warranty; eight year/200 000 km battery warranty; six year/120 000 km service plan; as well as five-year unlimited roadside assistance.