Deliveries of Zeekr, the electric car brand owned by the massive Chinese automobile company Geely Group, have officially started in Europe. The much-anticipated Zeekr 001 shooting brake was delivered to its first European buyer in the Netherlands. In Zeist, Netherlands, Zeekr’s delivery centre hosted the eagerly awaited delivery.
Zeekr European CEO Spiros Fotinos, who was present at the occasion, expressed his immense pride in the Zeekr Europe team for their incredible work in making this happen. He also acknowledged the devotion and hard work that went into achieving this goal.
June saw the start of the Dutch and Swedish presales for two Zeekr models: the mid-size SUV Zeekr X and the Zeekr 001. With prices starting at €59,490 for the 001 and €44,990 for the Zeekr X, these electric vehicles are competitively priced in the European market.
2 August marked the first Zeekr 001 intended for the European market’s assembly line, and on 25 August the ship sailed for Europe. Zeekr has big plans to grow, starting in 2024 with operations in four European nations and reaching eight countries internationally by 2025.
Zeekr currently operates direct-operated stores in Sweden and the Netherlands, and both countries in Europe offer test drives for the Zeekr X and 001. Making Amsterdam its “home of European sales,” Gothenburg, Sweden-based Zeekr Europe is attempting to improve its business. The company intends to engage 100 new local workers in addition to relocating 80 Gothenburg workers to Amsterdam.
Zeekr unveiled the 001 FR, the performance version of the 001, in a shocking move in September. It competes against the Tesla Model S Plaid, with an incredible 0-100 km/h acceleration time of under 2.07 seconds and a powerful 1,247 horsepower. Another impressive feature of the 001 FR is its 360-degree tank rotation capability. Like its slower brother, it’s rumoured to make its way to Europe, though no precise date has been given.
The Geely Group, the parent company of Zeekr, is already well-known for its achievements in the European EV industry, having established brands such as Lotus, Polestar, and Lynk&Co in Germany, the Netherlands, and other nations. Zeekr is a brand to keep an eye on as it enters the European market thanks to its strong track record in the EV sector.
Zeekr sells the 009 MPV in China; it will not be available in Europe, although a rebadged variant, the Volvo EM90, may find a home in the continent’s markets. Zeekr has demonstrated its remarkable performance in China, as seen by the 13,104 EVs it sold in November alone—a 23% rise from the same month last year. Deliveries during the entire month of November in 2023 totaled an astounding 102,752 units.
Zeekr has introduced three distinct iterations of the 001 for European consumers, each designed to meet certain demands. There are two AWD trims with 400 kW motors and the Long Range RWD, which has a 200 kW motor and a 620 km WLTP range. These AWD models are intriguing choices for EV enthusiasts because they can go from 0 to 100 km/h in just 3.8 seconds and have a 590 km range.
