Unusually named Zeekr makes debut helped by Geely entrée
Vaunted by the Chinese State as being ‘its most exciting brand’, reports Iain Robertson, its dichotomic anonymous model, the 001, has been unveiled with a promise to open Polestar-like ‘spaces’, rather than showrooms, in key cities.
If you think about it, the Peoples Republic of China has been immensely generous in giving us a pandemic and ensuring that its bony, yellow fingers are buried deeply in all aspects of world manufacturing. There exists scarcely a single manufacturing concern of any type that has not been infiltrated by that State, as it seeks to become the No.1 in the world, once and for all.
Although the multi-layered approach adopted by its scattergun motor industry has become less frivolous in its dealings, it does seem to have smartened up its act, even though stealing design influences from the West remains as preoccupation. Despite a huge population, only 10% of it has access to motor vehicles and of its myriad registered carmakers, very few of them survive without State support and control.
The only reason that Geely is one of the better-known Sino carmakers is because it owns Lotus, Volvo, Polestar and LEVC (London taxis), all Western brands that it now champions as its own and the latest is Zeekr, an all-electric stretched hatchback with shades of Porsche Panamera about it. One of the areas it has improved significantly is in international crash studies and, where Chinese motorcars failed the NCap tests regularly, it has become less of an issue of late.
However, should we sigh in relief, or just not place our trust in its products? Personally, I lean towards the latter. Will Zeekr land on our shores? Well, the company has every intention of ensuring that we can share in its bounty, so, yes, it will, however, its brand name may yet be altered to a more western mindset.
In the meantime, Zeekr is reputed to be the most automated of any car company from China. Its ‘Intelligent Factory’ is one of the most advanced vehicle facilities created to date thanks to a 5G+ system that allows for agile and transparent production management. Areas such as the welding section are fully automated with over 300 robots carrying out the work with limited human intervention thanks to the factory utilising an industrial grade 5G+ intelligent internet system that allows production to be planned, tracked and checked in a fully transparent manner.
In addition, the Zeekr production process allows for continuous self-optimisation, ensuring higher quality. Take as an example the welding production line, which adopts monitoring systems such as glue application visual guidance, online measurement, and ultrasonic self-inspection, while using intelligent self-adaptation for welding control to improve continuously the welding processes.
Powered by a 100kW battery pack that can be rapid charged from 10% to 80% in a modest 30mins, its substantial 566lbs ft of torque can propel the 001 from 0-60mph in around 3.5s, to a promised top whack of around 155mph and a maximum range of around 442mls. You can rest assured that, apart from the oddball headlamp clusters and full-width tail-lamp arrays, Peter Horbury, the former boss of Volvo design, has been involved in 001’s styling stance, which is actually quite attractive.
It is suggested that the first deliveries of the Zeekr 001 are expected to occur on 23rd of October, 2021, directly from the Zeekr plant but also through Zeekr Experience Centres and its Polestar-like Spaces across China. By the end of 2021, two Experience Centres in Hangzhou and Shanghai will open their doors, with 10 more to come online within weeks. As part of the company’s commitment to create the best user experience for existing and future users, it will open ultrafast 360kW charging stations in 10 cities by the end of the year. There will also be the existing network of third-party charging stations available for users across 272 cities in China. It also plans to introduce six new models over the next five years.
Anyway, the 001 does appear to be exceptionally flexible, with a load area that can fulfill almost 2,200-litres of space. Its electronic cabin access is both practical and secure. Beneath the flat floor, power is provided by a pair of electric motors and a promised 50:50 weight distribution, combined with its electronically controlled air suspension for a blend of fluent ride quality and sporty handling responses, linked to Audi-like electromagnetic damper control.
The dashboard is dominated by a large central touchscreen, with a small information screen located just ahead of the driver, with a wide, full-colour head-up projection into the lower windscreen. Largely conventional, there are no surprises to catch out the unwary driver. Naturally, it features next-gen autonomous driving features, none of which are legal as yet for European consumption. Its climate control system uses an advanced filtration module to remove even the smallest polluting particulates from entering the cabin. Face recognition provides an extra facet of security.
While the West is yet to embrace fully the subscription model being exercised most successfully in China, the State controlled means to usership but not ownership is central to the Zeekr experience. It will be interesting to see if it translates competently for a western market. Personally, I can perceive significant resistance, although rental and leasing are already quite mature processes on our side of the equation. In its domestic market, the Zeekr user also benefits from an extra-cost 24/7 butler service and, although no list prices have been released at this stage, it would be fair to state that they are on a par with those of Tesla, or perhaps Polestar.
It is intriguing that, even though Zeekr is promising a somewhat ‘different’ consumer experience, at the end of the day, the 001 is just another EV leaning on its in-house Volvo/Polestar experiences. The 001 may feature among the most advanced of electronic packaging, which is sure to be reliable enough, but the automotive game is still not moving the goalposts, as might have been hoped for.
