Zeekr, a Geely-owned luxury EV manufacturer, has announced plans for a 2024 European launch. Founded in 2021, Zeekr sold 71,941 vehicles last year in the Chinese domestic market.
Given Zeekr’s relationship with Geely, the brand is by no means short on funds and can afford to spend hundreds of millions to ensure it expands rapidly. Currently it sells 2 vehicles, the 001 wagon and the 009 MPV. Meanwhile, the Zeekr X crossover is expected to enter production later this year.
The Zeekr 001 can be equipped with a ginormous 140 kWh battery, resulting in a 641-mile CLTC range. Meanwhile, an 86 kWh battery comes as standard and a middle-of-the-row 100 kWh unit is also available. The 001 starts at the equivalent of around $45,000 in China.
Zeekr’s other current offering, the 009, is a luxury MPV that starts at 499,000 CNY ($72,650). It can be specced with either a 116 kWh or 140 kWh battery, with the former getting a 436-mile CLTC range and the latter 510 miles.
Zeekr will initially only sell one vehicle in Europe, a sedan codenamed the CS1E. It will reportedly be Model 3-sized. It’s currently unknown if Zeekr plans to launch in the RHD UK and Irish markets, with mainland Europe seemingly being the focus for now.
In the long run, Zeekr has big plans and wants to sell 650,000 vehicles a year by 2025. Clearly, Geely’s premium subsidiary is not just targeting Tesla but also traditional premium marques like BMW, Audi and Mercedes-Benz. It will be interesting to see if Zeekr expands to the US after Europe, however any plans of a North American launch have been kept under wraps for now.
