Zeekr Reaches 300,000 Sales, & Fastest Charging In World! – CleanTechnica

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I know — there are more Chinese EV startups than days in the month. It’s definitely hard to get a good vision of the Chinese market, even with Jose Pontes’ superb monthly China EV sales reports, but there are a handful of these Chinese EV companies that are really working to make their mark globally, and it’s particularly fun to track their progress. Zeekr has quickly risen up the food chain and into that world, as well as BYD (which you can’t call a startup, of course, but leads the market), NIO, and Xpeng.

The latest news from Zeekr is that it has reached 300,000 sales worldwide. That’s quite an achievement, and I expect it will double that figure in the next couple of years. It only took the company 33 months (fewer than 3 years) to reach this milestone after delivering its first vehicle. Zeekr says it achieved this 300,000 cumulative sales total on August 1.

Zeekr in Europe

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

Zeekr is particularly focused on trying to develop in the European market, selling the Zeekr 001 and Zeekr X there, and the Zeekr 001 and Zeekr X received 5-star Euro NCAP and Green NCAP ratings earlier this year, the highest ratings possible.

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. Note that it also recently debuted the new 009, including a right-hand-drive version, in Hong Kong. “Since its premiere in late 2022, the Zeekr 009, a six-seater pure electric multi-purpose vehicle (MPV), has revolutionized the once-staid segment, establishing itself as the new benchmark through its avant-garde design, cutting-edge technology, and superior performance,” Zeekr writes. “Designed to meet a diverse range of customer needs, the all-new Zeekr 009 offers highly customizable trims, including options for e-powertrain, battery and seating configurations, among other features. Joined by the four-seater Zeekr 009 Grand, the complete line-up of this one-of-a-kind model offers seating capacities for 4, 6 or 7 occupants.”

Zeekr: Fastest Charging in the World!

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

You do need to use Zeekr’s new 007 EV and charge on Zeekr V3 ultra-fast charging piles in order to achieve this. Though, for those who have those options, all the merrier. Also, it just shows where the market overall is heading.

“Zeekr has opened over 500 ultra-fast charging stations in China with over 2,700 charging piles, all of which can support 800V charging. Zeekr plans to expand the network to 1,000 ultra-fast charging stations in 2024 and will be operating over 10,000 ultra-fast charging piles in 2026,” Zeekr adds. So, yeah, there are a lot of people who will be able to benefit from this new charging record … in China.

Zeekr Driver-Assist & AI

Aiming to not be left behind in driver-assist tech and AI, the company also had this to add: “Apart from this, on Zeekr Tech Day, Zeekr releases the urban Navigation Zeekr Pilot (NZP) assist driving functions, providing intelligent driving assistance on urban roads with navigation. The urban NZP will start delivery at the end of August. Connected to the Kr AI model, Eva, Zeekr’s in-car assistant, evolves into a considerate driving companion. It can prejudge the situation and give suggestions to Zeekr users accordingly, enhancing the in-car experience of Zeekr users.”

That said, it does seem the company is considerably behind Xpeng on self-driving technology, and I don’t think anyone expects it to lead the way on robotaxis — Baidu seems to be at the front of the line for that. However, if you just want some modern driver-assist features, I’m sure Zeekr’s work just fine.