Geely to launch new Zeekr EV sub-brand to fight Tesla

According to a report by Reuters, Geely plans to launch a new sub-brand called Zeekr, which will produce premium electric vehicles to take on Tesla. The new brand will be managed by another Geely subsidiary, Lingling Technologies, and will operate separately from the company’s volume-focused Geometry brand launched in 2019.

Aside from Tesla, the new brand will look to deliver upmarket EVs that are good enough to rival established manufacturers like Mercedes-Benz. These vehicles will be built on Geely’s Sustainable Experience Architecture (SEA), which is highly modular and can accommodate vehicles from a to D/E segments.

The platform can be fitted with electric motors (up to four) that provide up to 635 hp, along with battery packs with energy capacities of up to 110 kWh. The latter allows for a range of up to 700 km, while fast charging can see up to 120 km be recovered after just five minutes of being plugged in. An operating life of up to two million km was also touted by Geely.

For distribution, Zeekr will reportedly take a page out of Tesla’s books by setting up showrooms in major city centres to sell cars at a fixed price, which differs from conventional dealer models. This strategy has helped Tesla in expanding sales quickly in China, a prominent EV market.

In January, Geely entered into an agreement with Baidu to establish a company to produce EVs, which is rumoured to be Zeekr. The Chinese automaker also signed to be a contract manufacturer for Foxconn and it was recently reported that a new battery plant is on the way.

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from Paul Tan's Automotive News
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