What Does the New Battery of the ZEEKR 001 Offer?

The large Chinese sedan from ZEEKR, the 001, receives its first technical update, especially to its battery.

Optimizing an electric vehicle is ongoing. The idea that it takes four or five years to see an update or a mid-cycle refresh is outdated. Now, Chinese manufacturers are breaking the mold: the lifespan of a car is only 2 to 4 years. Sometimes less if it doesn’t meet expectations. They change the bodywork, interior elements, but keep the platform. Which can be adapted infinitely and under different names.

ZEEKR, a subsidiary of the Geely group, shares its components with Volvo, Lotus, Smart, Polestar, and others. Economies of scale, both in development and manufacturing, are significant.

The ZEEKR 001 is already evolving

Presented in 2021, on sale since 2023, facelifted in 2024. The ZEEKR 001 perfectly exemplifies the earlier concept. Even the slightest technological update can be implemented in an electric car, much like it’s already seen in the mobile or computer industries.

Thus, the ZEEKR 2024 model makes several adjustments, the most interesting of which are not aesthetic (new bumpers, rims, colors) but technical.

First, the removal of the very large 140 kWh battery pack, which provided over 1,000 km of range. The cost of this solution, as well as its weight and commercial failure, led to its discontinuation. As charging speeds increase and energy management improves, range is no longer a primary concern.

Why two very similar batteries?

Next, the choice is offered between two batteries with very similar capacity and range. The logic isn’t immediately obvious, and it seems ZEEKR still has the ability to streamline its offering. Customers might not notice the difference…

Hypothesis 1 is an LFP (lithium iron phosphate) battery with a capacity of 95 kWh. Cheaper to produce, this technology has the disadvantage of offering lower energy density. Consequently, it is very heavy for a comparable range. This battery alone weighs around 720 kg! Equipped with it, the ZEEKR 01 could provide up to 722 km of range in the Chinese homologation cycle for the two-wheel drive version, and 675 km for the four-wheel drive.

Hypothesis 2 involves an NMC (nickel-manganese-cobalt) battery with more exotic, rare, and expensive materials. Its capacity is 100 kWh and its weight drops to 606 kg, saving 114 kg compared to the LFP. In the two-wheel drive version, the range reaches 750 km, and 705 km in the four-wheel drive version.

ZEEKR does not elaborate on the reasons, but we can speculate. First, it’s important to understand that the electric market in China is highly competitive. Prices are driven down, and manufacturers tend to keep costs very low. This logic has not yet been adopted for exports. Therefore, the NMC version is likely targeted at Europe and the US, where costs are higher and performance needs to be more reliable.

Even wilder performance?

The other hypothesis is that the battery varies depending on the trim level and exclusivity. The disappearance of the very large 140 kWh battery will require the 001 to deliver very high performance, hence the NMC.

Finally, this battery replacement has a practical explanation: power capacities are exploding. When the ZEEKR 001 two-wheel drive benefited from 200 kW (272 hp) in 2023, this figure jumps to 310 kW (422 hp) in 2024. The same applies to the four-wheel drive version, which goes from 400 kW (544 hp) to 580 kW (788 hp)!

This should be more than enough for trouble-free driving…