The 009 ME version features a battery pack with a capacity of 140 kWh and offers a CLTC range of 822 km.

(Image credit: Zeekr)

Zeekr, Geely's premium electric vehicle brand, has begun deliveries of the Zeekr 009 MPV with Qilin Battery, the first time this ultra-long range battery pack has been available to the general public.

Deliveries of the ME version of the Zeekr 009 MPV have officially begun, marking the global debut of the Qilin Battery in a production vehicle, Zeekr announced yesterday on its mobile app.

The Zeekr 009 ME version is powered by a battery pack with a capacity of 140 kWh that provides a CLTC range of 822 km, the highest of any pure electric MPV, Zeekr said.

CATL officially launched the Qilin Battery, or CTP (cell to pack) 3.0 battery, on June 23 last year, claiming to bring a new level of battery system integration to a new level.

The Qilin Battery allows volume utilization to exceed 72 percent and energy density to reach 255Wh/kg, supporting a vehicle range of 1,000 kilometers, the company said at the time.

On August 27 last year, Zeekr and CATL announced that the Zeekr 009 would be the world's first vehicle to carry the Qilin Battery, while the Zeekr 001 would use an ultra-long-range version of the Qilin Battery and would be the world's first production vehicle to carry the 1,000-kilometer range Qilin Battery.

On November 1 last year, Zeekr launched the Zeekr 009, which is available in two versions, WE and ME, with starting prices of RMB 499,000 ($72,560) and RMB 588,000 respectively.

The WE version is equipped with a ternary lithium battery pack with a capacity of 116 kWh and a CLTC range of 702 km. Deliveries of this version of the Zeekr 009 began on January 15.

The Zeekr 009 comes standard with a dual-motor drive system, both with 400 kW of peak motor power and 686 Nm of peak torque, and can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.5 seconds.

Zeekr delivered 6,663 vehicles in March, up 271.20 percent from 1,795 in the same month last year and up 22.14 percent from 5,455 in February, according to figures it announced on April 1.

($1 = RMB 6.8769)

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