With the flurry of new brands to Australia, it’s difficult to keep up with the names that have recently launched into our market. In October 2024, it was Zeekr’s turn to do so – but who or what is a Zeekr? Let’s take a look at the young brand’s rise to prominence. 

Zeekr is a premium electric car brand that’s headquartered in Ningbo in the Zhejiang Provence in China. It was founded in 2021 – yep, just four years ago – and is owned by Geely Automobile, which has also just launched its own brand in the Australian market. That means that Zeekr is owned by the same company as brands such as Volvo, Lotus, Polestar and Smart, all of which are also sold in Australia.

Where does the name Zeekr come from? According to CarNews China, it’s derived from a mix of the term Generation Z and the word ‘geek’. Its first vehicle was the 001 Shooting Brake, which launched in April 2021 using the ‘SEA’ platform and if that name sounds familiar, it’s because cars such as the Polestar 4 and Lotus Eletre also use it. 

1

In its first full year of sales in China, Zeekr sold almost 72,000 units of the 001.

Through 2022, the brand focused on collaborating with American autonomous driving company Waymo to develop a new self-driving taxi, which was revealed in November 2022. Called the Zeekr M-Vision, it used the same platform as the 001, and was developed for mass transport including robotic services. The M-Vision started testing in mid-2024. 

The next Zeekr product off the line was the 009 large electric people carrier, which went on sale in China in early 2023. It uses the same architecture as the 001, and was the first Zeekr product to use CATL’s Qilin long-range 140kWh NMC battery, giving it a range of 582km (WLTP) – impressive for an almost-three tonne MPV. 

The 001 also gained the CATL battery tech soon afterwards and it allowed the brand to launch into Europe in 2023, with both the Swedish and Dutch markets receiving the product first. 

3

The Zeekr X small SUV came next, based on the same ‘SEA2’ architecture as the Volvo EX30 and Smart #1 and #3 twins. Like those cars, it’s available with both rear- and all-wheel drive drivetrains. 

The Zeekr 007 mid-size sedan was next, using a new ‘PMA2+’ platform that is also used by the Smart #5 and with up to 870km of range on the lenient CLTC testing cycle. The 007 is due to be joined by a GT wagon later in 2025.

The 007 was launched with the brand’s new LFP battery, which supports mega-fast charging for a 10 to 80 per cent charge in under 11 minutes. In China, Zeekr opened over 500 ultra-fast charging stations, all of which can support 800V charging, with plans to expand that number to 10,000 by 2026. 

4

The final two models in the global Zeekr lineup are the Mix smaller MPV, which launched in China in April 2024, and the 7X mid-size SUV. In the whole of 2024, the brand sold 222,123 cars globally – 104,000 more than in 2023, with further increases targeted for 2025 thanks to new markets and new products.

In May 2024, Zeekr filed its initial public offering (IPO) on the New York Stock Exchange with around $441 million raised, making it the largest IPO of a Chinese company since 2021. 

Zeekr launched in Australia in October 2024 and currently sells two models: the X small SUV (priced from $49,990 plus on-road costs) and the 009 people carrier (from $135,900 +ORC). The 7X mid-size SUV is also due to go on sale locally before the end of the year as well. 

As well as new product, Zeekr is also aiming to expand its retail network and improve brand recognition with plans to triple the size of its dealer network for its target to sell 10,000 vehicles in just a few years. 

4

Its current dealer network comprises of six permanent showrooms in Perth, Geelong, Melbourne, Canberra and Sydney, with pop-up locations on the Sunshine Coast, Brisbane and Melbourne. 

Zeekr is proud of being the first premium Chinese EV brand in Australia. According to the brand, new product, more dealerships and more opportunities for brand recognition will allow it to gain more sales in its aim towards 10,000 sales in the next few years. Watch this space.