Zeekr kicks off production of the Mix minivan

The Zeekr Mix was unveiled at the Beijing Motor Show in April. It is the first model based on the SEA-M, a derivative of Geely’s SEA e-platform. Zeekr invested more than seven billion yuan (over 900 million euros) in the SEA-M architecture to achieve a combination of ultimate space, vehicle safety and fast handling, the company said at the Beijing motor show.

The first batch of the mass-produced Zeekr Mix minivan has now rolled off the production line. The official photos from the factory show that the new MPV is assembled at a different location from the main Zeekr plant in Ningbo. However, the exact plant where the Zeekr Mix will be produced has not been named. Zeekr’s parent company Geely owns 22 factories across China. According to a Wikipedia entry, it is said to be the plant in Luqiao, which is operated by Geely subsidiary Volvo and where the Polestar 2 is also built.

The model will go on sale tomorrow, Wednesday 23 October 2024. Zeekr is already beating the drum for the premiere event via social media and is presenting the Zeekr Mix as the ideal vehicle for picnic outings, for example, utilizing the onboard fridge.

The prices for the Zeekr Mix are still unknown, but there is already some initial information about the equipment: The Zeekr Mix is equipped with a rear engine as standard, with a peak output of 310 kW. In this variant, the Zeekr Mix has an NMC battery pack with 77 kWh. The CLTC range in this case is 556 kilometres. According to media reports, however, there will also be a variant with a better battery and a range of 712 kilometres.

A special feature of the Zeekr Mix is its three-metre wheelbase. That is particularly large, considering that the minivan is 4.67 metres long, two metres wide and 1.78 metres high. The Zeekr Mix has three sliding doors. Only the driver’s door can be opened in the conventional way. Inside, the Mix has five seats and a large table in the centre tunnel. The front seats of the Zeekr Mix can be rotated so that they face the passengers in the second row.

The Zeekr Mix is very similar to the minivan that Zeekr developed for Google’s sister company Waymo, which is also based on the SEA-M electric vehicle platform. Waymo wants to deploy the Zeekr minivans as robotaxis in the USA soon.

It is not yet known whether the Zeekr Mix will also come to Europe – especially as Zeekr is still travelling with the handbrake on for its European expansion. A few days ago, Zeekr launched in Norway with the Zeekr 001 Shooting Brake and the Zeekr X SUV. The brand has already launched in the Netherlands and Sweden, while the German launch is still a long way off, despite an announcement in 2023 that it would start in early 2024.

Update 24 October 2024

Shortly after the start of production, Zeekr has also started selling its Mix electric van in China. The prices are now also official: They start from 279,900 yuan, which is the equivalent of around 36,500 euros.

Zeekr also revealed further technical details at the launch event. The battery, which now has an energy content of 76 kWh, uses LFP cells and has a charging rate of 5.5C – the peak charging power should therefore be over 400 kW. This should enable the battery pack to be charged from ten to 80 per cent in 10.5 minutes.

There is now also a figure for the other battery option: the NMC battery is expected to have an energy content of 102 kWh and thus enable a range of the previously speculated 700 kilometres. However, like the 550 kilometres of the LFP battery, this was determined in the CLTC, which usually results in higher ranges than in the WLTP. With the large battery, the Zeekr Mix is available from 299,900 yuan, the equivalent of 39,080 euros. What’s more, customers who order the Zeekr Mix before 30 November will enjoy purchase benefits of up to 43,000 yuan (5,600 euros).

cnevpost.com, carnewschina.com, cnevpost.com, carnewschina.com (both update)