Zeekr is poised to unveil its inaugural in-house developed battery, with plans to incorporate it into the upcoming Zeekr 007 electric sedan. This announcement comes amid recent reports suggesting that Nio (NYSE: NIO) is contemplating a spin-off of its battery business.
Guan Haitao, Chief Marketing Officer at Zeekr, disclosed via Weibo that the Zeekr 007 will be the first model to feature the internally developed battery. While specific details were not divulged, Zeekr has scheduled a Zeekr Power Day 2023 event on December 14, where additional information about the new battery will be disclosed.
According to reports from local media outlet Jiemian, Zeekr’s batteries are expected to undergo mass production at the manufacturing facility of Jidian, located in Quzhou, Zhejiang province in eastern China.
The Zeekr 007 made its debut at the Guangzhou auto show in late November, initially offered at a pre-sale price of RMB 229,900 ($32,100). Zeekr reported significant pre-orders, surpassing 25,000 within nine days of commencing pre-sales on November 27. Customers who reserved the model with a RMB 1,000 deposit were eligible for a RMB 5,000 discount on the final payment, bringing the actual pre-sale starting price down to RMB 224,900.
Scheduled for an official launch in late December, the Zeekr 007 will mark Zeekr’s entry into the mainstream EV market. The model offers single-motor and dual-motor versions, with power battery options in both lithium ternary and lithium iron phosphate versions, as per previous regulatory filings.
Battery suppliers for the Zeekr 007 include Geely’s joint venture with CATL, along with Jidian, which has been mentioned in reports and is speculated to be Zeekr’s battery manufacturing arm.
Founded in 2021, Zeekr currently boasts a lineup of three models in China – the Zeekr 001, Zeekr 009, and Zeekr X, targeting various niche markets. The Zeekr 007 is positioned to be Zeekr’s flagship model for the mainstream EV market, aiming to bolster the company’s delivery growth.
