The first batch of Zeekr 001s, one of the two models available yet for Europe, has set sail for the Netherlands from the port of Taicang, China, to be delivered to customers in Q4 of this year.

The new Swedish-Chinese Zeekr, a sister brand of Lynk & Co and Volvo, can already be ordered in Sweden and the Netherlands with prices starting at €59 490 (incl. VAT) in the Netherlands. The Zeekr X, with the underlying Smart #1 technology, starts at €44 995 but will come later.

Belgium in 2025

Zeekr intends to extend its European presence to six other countries in 2024 and eight countries by 2025. The company announced the next markets to follow are Norway, Germany, Denmark, and France. Belgium will probably follow in 2025.

Zeekr’s European headquarters will be in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, but the 001 and X models were developed at Zeekr’s global design and R&D center in Gothenburg, Sweden, where it shares a whole new campus with Lynk & Co.

At the Geely brands’ headquarters in Gothenburg, the culture is more European than the Chinese ownership would suggest, as we could experience ourselves when test-driving the shooting brake and visiting the campus.

Two separate design teams

Some 550 people work there for the two brands, with two separate design teams of 110 people and 31 nationalities. Swedish are most represented, with Chinese, German, and French following. Mostly young people, with an average age of 34, 55% even under that age. A deliberate choice to add new blood and fresh ideas to the car business.

In July, we already had an opportunity to test-drive the Zeekr 001 in Sweden. The cars for the press to test were still preproduction models, so fine-tuning wasn’t finished yet, and some technologies, like the 21 ADAS driver aid systems, were not activated while awaiting homologation.

Basic Long Range

The first version we drove was the ‘basic’ Long Range model equipped with a single motor in the rear axle. This is the one that retails at €59 490 (incl. VAT) in the Netherlands.

It’s advertized to be capable of driving 620 km (WLTP) on a single charge. We can’t prove that on a roughly 200 km test drive on winding Swedish country roads.

But, the power consumption of 18.2-18.5 kWh/100 km is feasible without being extremely careful. On Swedish roads with speed limits constantly switching between 40, 50, and 70 km/hour, that’s relatively easy to accomplish.

Digging into menus

It doesn’t mean this basic Zeekr is a snail, with 200 kW (272 hp) and 343 Nm of torque available, an acceleration time of 7,2 seconds from 0-100 km/hour, and a top speed of 200 km/hour. You never feel the car gasping for breath despite its 2,2-ton curb weight. And like most electric cars, the continuous available maximum torque makes it light on its feet, compared to ICE cars.

The Zeekr 001 Privilege, the top model, is another kind of breed for still a reasonable price of €67 490 (VAT incl.), compared to the German premium cars it wants to challenge. It combines active air suspension and electronically controlled dampers to deliver a cushion-soft comfort drive upon the sporty agility you might expect on a racing track.

Blazing fast

This one is blazing fast, with its two electric motors generating 200 kW (272 hp) and 343 Nm of instant torque each. Rocket-fast acceleration from 0 to 100 km in merely 3,8 seconds without the need for launch control. It’s not as fast as a Tesla Model S Plaid (2,9 seconds) but quite competitive to today’s classic hypercars with combustion engines and gearboxes.

The Zeekr 001 doesn’t look like a sports car but, with its low-drag profile and sophisticated electronically controlled suspension, it surely drives like one. The ‘penalty’ in the range is reasonable: still 580 km. That’s only 50 km less than the 2WD version if you keep it civilized on the road.