The first Zeekr X crossover EVs built specifically for the European market have rolled off the assembly line at the Geely-owned company’s factory in Ningbo, China, this last Sunday and have already been transported to the port, ready to be shipped to Sweden and the Netherlands.
This second shipment will follow the first batch of Zeekr 001 EVs sent to the Old Continent in August and will spearhead the Chinese company’s expansion to Europe, with the first deliveries set to begin closer to the end of the year, when the Geely-owned carmaker will open its first direct-to-consumer retail locations in Stockholm and Amsterdam, with more to follow on the continent. Zeekr says it intends to have a presence in most Western European markets by 2026.
Production of the X urban crossover that shares its underpinnings with the Smart #1 and Volvo EX30 began in China in June when the company also started taking pre-orders for both the X and 001 liftback in Sweden and the Netherlands.
Gallery: 2023 Zeekr X
In Europe, the Zeekr X has a starting price of €44,990 (approximately $49,000), while the 001 is priced at €59,490 (roughly $63,500). By comparison, the small urban crossover starts at 189,800 yuan ($26,000) in China, while the 001 goes from 299,000 yuan ($41,000) in its home market.
Based on Geely’s Sustainable Electric Architecture (SEA), the Zeekr X is available in two power output variants, both of which draw energy from a 66-kilowatt-hour battery pack with Nickel Manganese Cobalt (NMC) chemistry. The base rear-wheel-drive trim has an output of 200 kilowatts (268 horsepower), while the more powerful version comes with a dual-motor all-wheel drive setup that’s good for a combined 315 kW (422 hp) and 400 pound-feet (543 Newton-meters) of torque, enabling a 0 to 62 miles per hour sprint in 3.7 seconds.
The RWD model has a CLTC-rated range of 348 miles (560 kilometers), while the AWD variant can travel up to 318 miles (512 km) on a full charge.
Zeekr was established in 2021 as a premium brand wholly owned by Geely, the Chinese car group that also has Volvo, Polestar, and Lotus in its portfolio, among others.
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Source: Zeekr via CarNewsChina