The electric vehicle landscape seems to get more and more interesting every day, with new and exciting cars, offering ever-better range and performance, popping up on the horizon with increasing frequency.

Back in May, Motor Trader reported on some of those vehicles that appeared at the Shanghai Auto Show, and chief among them was the Swedish-designed ZEEKR 001 – an oddly named but really compelling entrant from ZEEKR, the pure electric premium brand of Geely Holding Group, the Chinese parent company of Volvo and Lotus, amongst others.

Late last month, the company announced that the first production-ready ZEEKR 001 had rolled off manufacturing line at its factory Ningbo, China, and the really attractive car looks like a winner.

Based on Geely Holding Group’s Sustainable Electric Architecture (SEA), the vehicle has 400kW of power with max torque of 768Nm sent through a twin motor system – one on the front axles and one on the rear. Performance is cracking, with 0-100km/h covered in 3.8 seconds. Top speed will reportedly be over 200km/h.

Fast charging is available, of course. ZEEKR plans to introduce a charging network in China offering charging speeds up to 360kW. That will see the car’s 100kWh Z-Battery charged from 10 to 80 per cent within 30 minutes, delivering a range boost of 120km after just five minutes of charging.

ZEEKR has said that the car offers some quality features, including air suspension that automatically adjusts ground clearance from 117mm to 205mm based on user requirements. Software and technology will, the company added, allow the 001 to automatically detect approaching users via facial recognition and adjust the 001’s settings to their personal preferences. The 001 will also be able to receive over-the-air updates.

First deliveries of the ZEEKR 001 are expected now across ZEEKR Experience Centres and ZEEKR Spaces in China. The company opened its first ZEEKR Spaces last month in Hangzhou and Tianjin, with 10 more to come online imminently. It has also committed to open those ultrafast 360kW charging stations in 10 cities by the end of the year. There will also be third party charging stations available for users across 272 cities in China.

China is, of course, ZEEKR’s first market, but Geely has expansion plans and one can only hope the ZEEKR 001 will make its way to Australia at some point.

Source: Motor Trader e-Magazine (November 2021) 

25 November 2021