Zeekr to launch seven new EVs by 2026

Geely’s premium EV brand Zeekr has seven EVs in the pipeline, all of which could launch by 2026. These include four crossovers, two minivans, and a station wagon designed for European markets.

A slide from a Deutsche Bank presentation has revealed that Zeekr will build a product range of 11 models within two and a half years. The company has already revealed one of its upcoming products – the Zeekr Mix.

Multi-purpose vehicles (MPVs) may no longer be in the trend globally, but in China, automakers are doubling down on those people movers, thanks to the country’s new three-child policy and rising middle-class population. At Zeekr, the product range will include not one, not two, but three MPVs in the future. The third model, codenamed ‘Zeekr Beluga,’ will arrive in 2026. While the already-on-sale Zeekr 009 is a full-size MPV and the recently revealed Zeekr Mix is a mid-size MPV, there’s no word on the Zeekr Beluga’s positioning.

Although Zeekr will have a wide MPV range, SUVs will remain its mainstay. Four such models, codenamed ‘Zeekr CX1E,’ ‘Zeekr DX1E,’ ‘Zeekr EX1E,’ and ‘Zeekr Grampus’ are incoming. The Zeekr CX1E, rumoured to get the name ‘Zeekr Ark,’ will be a mid-size SUV that competes with the Tesla Model Y. Geely has confirmed that its domestic launch will take place in Q4 2024 (October-December 2024). Given the vehicle segment and positioning, a global launch looks very much possible and could happen in 2025.

The Zeekr DX1E could be a model slotted above the Zeekr Ark, and the Zeekr EX1E further above. Geely has confirmed that a large SUV from the Zeekr brand is also coming in Q4 2024, and there’s a chance it was referring to the EX1E. There’s no word on what the Zeekr Grampus is at the moment.

A future model codenamed ‘Zeekr CC1E’ will help the Chinese brand strengthen its European business. Local reports say it will arrive as the ‘Zeekr 007 Touring,’ the estate version of the Zeekr 007 mid-size sedan, the company’s Tesla Model 3 rival. Thus, this car could compete with the Nio ET5 Touring.

Zeekr is also rapidly expanding its global footprint. After launching its EVs in Europe and Southeast Asia, it is all set to enter North America, with Mexico as the first market. 143 units of the Zeekr 001 and Zeekr X combined are on their way to Mexico, and 114 more units will follow. Meanwhile, the first RHD units of the Zeekr X have started rolling off the assembly line in Chengdu (Sichuan Province), China.

Between January and May, Zeekr delivered 67,764 EVs, marking a YoY growth of 112%. By that month, its cumulative sales stood at over 260,000 units. In another interesting recent development, Zeekr was listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in May under the ticker symbol “ZK” and at $21 per share.

carnewschina.com, linkedin.com (in Spanish), db.com