Zeekr 001

After over two years of consistent coverage of Geely’s young, all-electric ZEEKR brand, I finally got the opportunity to see its first two EV models up close and take them both for a spin. As a bonus, ZEEKR also had its purpose-built EV designed for Waymo on display ahead of the first deliveries to the robotaxi startup.

Less than three months after announcing entry into a new market of Israel, Chinese EV automaker ZEEKR is continuing its expansion in the Middle East (and around the globe for that matter) and doing so quickly. The young automaker has announced four new partnerships that will see EV deliveries coming quite quickly.

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.

Young EV brand ZEEKR continues to innovate at a speed worthy of a name like “Plaid” or “Sapphire,” but apparently views itself and its latest incoming sports car in an entirely different echelon. In a tweet earlier today, ZEEKR teased a performance version of its flagship 001 sedan, making it known it’s entering the sports car segment and it has its sights set on Tesla.

Nearly six months to the day after revealing ambitious plans to enter new markets in Europe this year, ZEEKR has launched pre-orders for two of its three current EV models. The Chinese EV automaker will launch in two EU countries to begin as it shares a timeline to expand to even more of Western Europe.

Following the debut of its third generation cell-to-pack (CTP) “Qilin” battery cells in June, battery expert CATL has shared which EV brand will be the first to use them – ZEEKR. The energy dense batteries will initially debut on the recently announced ZEEKR 009 MPV, quickly followed by the ZEEKR 001 which promises over 620 miles (1,000 km) of all-electric range.

Chinese automaker Geely Auto released strong first-half 2022 results today, showing a massive surge in EV sales. The automaker continues growing its electric segment, with pure electric vehicle sales surging 520% from 2021.

Geely-owned EV sub-brand ZEEKR continues its ambitious entry into electrified markets by sharing ambitious delivery goals for China this year. Furthermore, ZEEKR now plans to enter the EU market next year, joining previously announced plans to enter North America as well.

Infant luxury EV brand ZEEKR has officially begun rolling the first production models of its flagship 001 sedan off its assembly line in China. The brand exists under the Geely Holding Group umbrella, and will now begin the first deliveries of its first luxury EV to customers in China this weekend.