Geely’s Electric duo Zeekr 001 and X available for pre-order

Geely’s Electric duo Zeekr 001 and X available for pre-order. Geely’s electric car subsidiary Zeekr has priced its electric duo in Germany. The Zeekr 001 can now be pre-ordered in Germany at prices starting at 59,900 euros. The Zeekr X start from 44,990 euros. Independently of this, the company presents a new performance version, the 001 FR.

The prices quoted apply to the long-range versions of both models. The manufacturer does not yet provide any information on the all-wheel-drive versions. The company is aiming for the first deliveries in Germany in the first half of 2024. Zeekr wants to make the first test drives possible by the end of 2023. The vehicles will be sold through flagship stores, among other places. The Geely brand plans to establish these and customer service in Germany in the first half of 2024.

At the end of June, Zeekr has already launched pre-sales for the Zeekr 001 and Zeekr X in the Netherlands and Sweden. Moreover it announced that it will “expand into most countries in Western Europe by 2026”. The brand now confirms this once again. The manufacturer is initially focusing on Germany, Norway, Denmark and France. In the two European debut markets, the Netherlands and Sweden, deliveries are scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter of 2023.

The Geely subsidiary first presented its European strategy at the China Auto Show in April. Since then, it is clear that the 001 and the Zeekr X will be the first models destined for the continent. The almost five-metre-long Shooting Brake 001 is the brand’s debut model. This is already on sale in China and has been since October 2021, while the X is a compact car reminiscent of a small SUV. Zeekr’s second model, the large premium van 009, on the other hand, is not planned for release in Europe.

Both models are based on Geely’s all-electric SEA. The Zeekr 001 uses a 100 kWh battery, which in combination with the 200 kW rear-wheel drive is supposed to enable a WLTP range of up to 620 kilometres. There is also a dual-motor variant with 400 kW of power. The Zeekr X also offers at least 200 kW of power, but comes with a 69 kWh battery for up to 445 WLTP kilometres. The Zeekr X is closely related to the Smart #1. The two models can each charge with 22 kW AC and with up to 200 kW (001), or 150 kW (X) DC.

Independently of the market launch in Germany, Zeekr presents another model variant of the 001. The new Permance offshoot is called Zeekr 001 FR (the FR stands for “Future Road”) and brings a whopping 930 kW to the road with its four electric motors. The sprint from 0 to 100 km/h is said to take only 2.07 seconds. The top speed is 280 kph. In China, Zeekr is already taking reservations for the 001 FR. It plans to start deliveries in October 2023, but in the same breath states that it will build a maximum of 99 units per month. The exact price has not yet been communicated.

Several sources had reported in mid-August that the Geely subsidiary was planning a performance version with the name suffix FR. The brand showed the first images in a social media post. “Plaid is dull,” it said there, referring to Tesla’s performance variants of the Model S and Model X. As Reuters reported at the time, citing an insider, prices are said to be above one million yuan (around 127,000 euros). However, this has not yet been confirmed.

Zeekr specifies that the Zeekr 001 FR can be charged from 10 to 80 per cent in 15 minutes thanks to its 800-volt architecture. With this in mind, the manufacturer plans to introduce 450 new HPCs in China this year. Additionally a “new V3 charging station with a maximum power of 800 kW and a maximum output voltage of 1,000 V at a maximum output current of 800 A”. The short-term goal is to expand the network to 1,000 ultra-fast charging stations by 2024, they say. Zeekr leaves open whether the 001 FR will also come to Europe.