The model will be one of two new models Zeekr will launch this year that the company says will be the ceiling for performance in the A-class SUV.
(Image credit: Zeekr)
Zeekr is warming up for its third model, one of two new models it will launch this year in anticipation of greater competition in the world's largest electric vehicle (EV) market.
The Geely subsidiary teased the compact SUV in a poster and video posted on Weibo today, hinting that its name will include the number "3".
The model is currently widely seen in the Chinese community as the Zeekr 003, but Geely senior vice president Yang Xueliang said on Weibo on January 30 that it would not necessarily bear that name.
Zeekr's poster suggests that the company aims to make the new model a classic like the Tesla Model 3, Audi Q3 and BMW 3 Series.
The model will be "beyond the SUV imagination" and will be the ceiling of performance for an A-class SUV, with a 0 to 100 km/h sprint time of less than 4 seconds, according to Zeekr.
Zeekr was officially launched as an independent company in March 2021, and the models currently on sale include the Zeekr 001 hatchback and the Zeekr 009 MPV, both of which are produced at the company's plant in Ningbo, Zhejiang.
Zeekr's third model will not be built in Ningbo, but at Geely's plant in Chengdu, Sichuan province, a person familiar with the matter told CnEVPost.
Geely has conducted several supplier bids for the Chengdu plant over the past few months to prepare for the production of Zeekr's new models, bid announcements seen by CnEVPost show.
The launch date for the third Zeekr model is currently unknown, but it will likely be at the Shanghai auto show this April.
Zeekr CEO Andy An said in a January 27 internal letter that the company's first task in 2023 is to double deliveries to 140,000 units. Launching two new models will be important move for Zeekr to reach that goal.
Zeekr delivered a record 11,337 vehicles in December, bringing its 2022 deliveries to 71,941 vehicles and meeting its goal of 70,000 vehicles for the year.
The company will launch two all-new models this year with the goal of making them popular right after launch, An said in his internal letter.
In 2023, Zeekr will enter Europe, creating value in the world's most mature automotive market, An said at the time.
On January 30, CnEVPost obtained several images of the new Zeekr model, and they appear to have been taken in Europe, possibly foreshadowing that the model will be available in both China and Europe.
