Zeekr reaches 300,000 sales and is the fastest charging location in the world!

Sign up for daily news updates from CleanTechnica by email. Or Follow us on Google News!

---

I know — there are more Chinese EV startups than days in the month. It's definitely hard to get a good picture of the Chinese market, even with the great monthly Chinese EV Sales Reportsbut there are a handful of these Chinese EV companies that are really working to make their mark globally, and it’s especially fun to watch their progress. Zeekr has quickly risen up the food chain and into that world, as has BYD (which you can’t call a startup, but it’s leading the market), NIO, and Xpeng.

The latest news from Zeekr is that it has reached 300,000 sales worldwide. That is quite an achievement and I expect it to double that number in the coming years. It took the company just 33 months (less than 3 years) to reach this milestone after delivering its first vehicle. Zeekr says it reached this cumulative sales mark of 300,000 on August 1st.

Seaweed in Europe

“The brand launched its first model — the Zeekr 001 luxury shooting brake — in April 2021. Since then, the brand has expanded its global line-up to include the Zeekr 009 MPV, Zeekr 009 Grand, Zeekr X urban SUV and Zeekr 007 sedan, and is present in over 30 markets worldwide. In addition to reaching 300,000, July also saw the online reveal of the Zeekr 7X SUV and the debut of the all-new 009 in Hong Kong.”

Zeekr focuses primarily on developing on the European market, by selling the Zeekr 001 and Zeekr X there, and the Zeekr 001 and Zeekr X received 5-star Euro NCAP and Green NCAP ratings the highest possible ratings earlier this year.

Zeekr will also be launching new EV models in Europe later this year. Tariffs? What tariffs?

New Zeekr 009

Zeekr now operates in more than 30 markets worldwide. It should be noted that it also recently introduced the new 009, including a right-hand drive version, in Hong Kong. “Since its debut in late 2022, the Zeekr 009, a six-seater pure electric multi-purpose vehicle (MPV), has revolutionized a once dull segment and established itself as the new benchmark through its avant-garde design, advanced technology and superior performance,” Zeekr writes. “The all-new Zeekr 009 is designed to meet a wide range of customer needs and offers highly customizable configurations, including options for e-powertrain, battery and seating configurations, among other features. Together with the four-seat Zeekr 009 Grand, the complete line-up of this unique model offers seating capacities for 4, 6 or 7 occupants.”

Zeekr: fastest charging point in the world!

However, it was Zeekr’s announcement about the battery and charging this week that set the internet alight. Zeekr claims its 5.5C batteries can charge faster than any other EV battery in the world. They can go from 10% to 80% in just 10½ minutes.

You will need to be using Zeekr’s new 007 EV and charging at Zeekr V3 ultra-fast charging stations to achieve this. But for those who have those options, all the better. It also shows where the market is heading in general.

“Zeekr has opened more than 500 ultra-fast charging stations in China with more than 2,700 charging stations, all of which can support 800V charging. Zeekr plans to expand the network to 1,000 ultra-fast charging stations in 2024 and will have more than 10,000 ultra-fast charging stations in operation by 2026,” Zeekr adds. So yes, there are many people who can benefit from this new charging record… in China.

Zeekr Driving Assistance & AI

Not to be left behind in the field of driver assistance technology and AI, the company also had the following to add: “In addition, on Zeekr Tech Day, Zeekr will release the Urban Navigation Zeekr Pilot (NZP), a driver assistance function that provides intelligent driving assistance on urban roads with navigation. The Urban NZP will start shipping in late August. Connected to the Kr AI model, Eva, Zeekr's in-car assistant, develops into an attentive driving companion. It can predict the situation and make suggestions to Zeekr users accordingly, thereby improving the in-car experience of Zeekr users.”

That said, the company appears to be significantly behind Xpeng in the self-driving technology space, and I don't think anyone expects it to lead the way in robotaxis. Baidu appears to be at the front of the line for thatHowever, if you just want some modern driver assistance features, I think Zeekr would work just fine.