Zeekr starts delivery of 001 with +1.000-km range Qilin battery (update)

In January, Zeekr, part of the Geely Group, has given its shooting brake 001 an update for 2023. Now it starts delivering the single-motor WE version with a 140-kWh battery pack as an option for around €13 000 extra.

This new Qilin battery from CATL, promises a range of over 1 000 km, according to the Chinese standards, which tend to be 15 to 25% less strict than European WLTP. But there are a few caveats…

The Zeekr 001 was launched in 2021 as a 4,97 meter-long shooting brake with similar design cues to the Lynk & Co model range, also a Geely subsidiary, but with a more luxurious and high-tech approach. At launch, the 001 was available with an 86 kWh or a 100 kWh battery pack, promising range figures of up to 700 km, according to the Chinese CLTC standard.

1 032 km

Beginning this year, the Zeekr 001 got a 2023 model year update, becoming the first model on the market with CATL’s new ‘Qilin’ battery pack, which was presented back in June 2022, promising record volume efficiency and an electric driving range of over 1 000 km.

And Zeekr has kept that promise, stuffing a massive 140 kWh battery pack into the 001, offering a range of 1 032 km. However, this is according to the Chinese CLTC figures, which are usually around 20-25% more optimistic than the WLTP standard, which is now used in Europe. Still, a driving range of around 800 km can be considered quite impressive.

There’s a second caveat, however: the 140 kWh Qilin battery option is limited to only 1 000 units, with an additional cost of 103 000 RMB (14 100 euros), bringing the starting price of the Zeekr 001 with the largest battery to 403 000 RMB (55 200 euros). This limited production runs likely wipes out any chance of this battery option coming to Europe in the event that Zeekr makes the trip to our shores.

Cell-to-pack technology

The CATL Qilin battery uses a third-generation cell-to-pack battery (CTP) with a 72% volume utilization efficiency and the option of either nickel-cadmium-manganese (NCM) cells with an energy density of up to 255 Wh/kg, or longer-lasting lithium-ferro-phosphate cells (LFP) with an energy density of up to 160 Wh/kg.

The Zeekr 001 uses the former option, with a density of 200 Wh/kg and a total battery weight of around 727 kg. First deliveries are expected from the second quarter of 2023.