If you haven’t heard of Zeekr, it’s an electric-vehicle brand that caters to the premium market in China (and select global markets). It’s owned by Geely, which has host of other companies under its umbrella like Lynk & Co, Lotus, Volvo and more.
It currently has one model, the 001, which was designed under the idea of “no more boring EVs”—a bold claim considering cars like the Porsche Taycan and the Rimac Nevera exist. But after being briefly shown off last April, the first production vehicle just rolled off the line at the company’s “intelligent factory” in Ningbo, China.
This factory is powered by a 5G+ network that allows for high levels of automation and “continuous self-optimization.” Think of Toyota’s “jidoka” principle, where the system constantly learns and adapts to improve its processes. There are over 300 robots working in this facility that can be monitored with ease.
But going back to the car, the Zeekr 001 is an attractive-looking shooting brake with a face taken from Lynk & Co (which isn’t a bad thing). It has a twin-motor system capable of making 536hp and 768Nm, which propels the car to 100km/h in 3.8 seconds. It also has brakes strong enough to stop it from that speed in just 34.5m.
The car offers two battery sizes: an 86kWh pack or a larger 100kWh cell that’s capable of charging from 10% to 80% within 30 minutes. Zeekr says the car has 700km in range, with 360kW fast-charging stations soon to be available across ten different cities in China by the end of the year. Customers will also have access to third-party charging stations across the country.
First deliveries of the 001 are expected to start on October 23. If you live in the People’s Republic, you can see the car at Zeekr Experience Centers and Zeekr Spaces in cities like Hangzhou, Shanghai and Tianjin.
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