ZEEKR’s first shipment of 001 EV exports sets sail for Europe

Two months after opening pre-orders for its EVs in Europe, ZEEKR has begun exporting its 001 models from China to begin initial deliveries overseas. This milestone is part of an ambitious, multifaceted strategy from the Geely-owned subsidiary to make a name for itself in the global EV market.

If you’re not already aware of Geely’s ZEEKR sub-brand, you may soon be – especially if you’re living in Europe. The all-electric marque was founded a mere two years ago and has already built over 100,000 vehicles in China and introduced three models, including its flagship 001 sedan.

In an internal letter sent out this past January, ZEEKR CEO Andy An laid out five key goals for 2023, one of which included entry into new markets in Europe. This past May, ZEEKR’s head in Europe, Spiros Fotinos, upped the ante, stating the company intends to become a top three premium EV brand by the end of the decade.

That journey through Europe will begin with ZEEKR’s 001 sedan, which began pre-orders in late June, alongside news that the first two EU markets to receive the EVs will be Sweden and the Netherlands.

Today, the European versions of 001 were loaded up at the port of Taicang, Jiangsu province, in China and will make their trip overseas to Europe soon.

ZEEKR 001 EVs begin company’s invasion of Europe

With 001 EVs en route, ZEEKR’s January prophecy is finally being fulfilled, but it’s merely the start for a company that is young but fast and backed by one of the largest automotive conglomerates in China.

When ZEEKR announced the opening of pre-orders in Sweden and the Netherlands, it shared that the first EU-specific 001s had rolled off its assembly lines in Ningbo, Zhejiang province, on August 2. The original timeline was to ship the EVs out in mid-August, so ZEEKR appears slightly behind schedule, but deliveries in Europe are now imminent nonetheless.

The automaker shared some cool images of the 001 sedans being loaded up on its Weibo page with the following text (translated):

On August 25, the first batch of new export cars of the European version of 001 left Hong Kong for Europe. ZEEKR going further in globalization. Now, let’s set sail!

First deliveries in Sweden and the Netherlands are expected to begin in Q4 2023 as ZEEKR intends to continue its expansion to at least six countries outside of China by next year and reach eight by 2025. The next ZEEKR model to make the trek to Europe will be the X SUV, which also began pre-orders in those first two EU markets alongside the 001.

There has been no mention of when those EU-specific models will leave port, but expect to see that next. Earlier this month, ZEEKR introduced a performance version of the 001, but the automaker has yet to share any plans to bring that version to Europe.