Chinese electric vehicle brand Zeekr aims to double its sales in 2023 to approximately 140,000 vehicles and expand into Europe, according to CEO Andy An. Zeekr, a brand owned by Chinese automaker Geely, sold 72,000 vehicles in 2022, mostly in China.
Its 001 model, which costs about $43,600, competes with the Tesla Model Y and other luxury models in the competitive Chinese market. Tesla has cut prices and production in China as it faces increasing competition from Chinese brands such as Zeekr. The 2023 Zeekr 001 comes in four basic configuration options: two WE Editions, one ME Edition, and one YOU Edition. 2023 Zeekr 001 comes with optional CATL’s Qilin Battery with a range of up to 1,032 km.
Zeekr’s second model, the 009, will enter production this month. An said Zeekr sees growth potential in Europe and plans to begin selling vehicles there with assisted driving systems developed with Mobileye later this year. Zeekr and Waymo, Alphabet’s robotaxi unit, also unveiled a prototype autonomous ride service vehicle at the CES 2023 conference in Las Vegas.
An said Zeekr plans to manufacture vehicles for Waymo in China, with the possibility of US production “depending on the market situation.” Zeekr has filed for a US initial public offering but has not provided details on the size or timing.
