ZEEKR X: The European Car Killer?

The Chinese electric car tsunami is imminent with continuously groundbreaking innovations surpassing European brands… and at unbeatable prices.

Zeekr, which can be phonetically written as “Seeker” in English, affirms its translation: seeker. Or even trailblazer, as its primary mission will be to penetrate deeply into the European market starting this year 2023. What stings is precisely in the segment of small, family-friendly crossovers for everyday use, and at a price that defies all competition.

Just a few years ago, anyone picturing a Chinese car envisioned a counterfeit vehicle with stylistic inspirations from European references and outdated technologies. It took blindness not to see the steep upward curve of all these new Chinese players and their imperialist appetite to conquer everything by force.

Finally, there is European cowardice, which dares not impose the same rules that China endures. When a European manufacturer wants to establish itself there, it must form a joint venture with a Chinese player, often state-owned. Conversely, Chinese cars sold in Europe… come directly from China with no toll at entry. Or how to hand over your car keys to your wife’s lover with a smile in return…

Let’s return to Zeekr, a new brand of the giant Geely (Volvo, Lotus, holdings in the Daimler-Mercedes group and Smart, a joint venture with Renault) founded in 2021. Its clearly declared target is Europe, and to succeed better, its design studio is based in Sweden and its financial headquarters in Amsterdam, Netherlands (which benefits from fiscal bumping within Europe itself, in the spirit of teamwork). These two countries will be the first to enjoy Zeekr products from the fourth quarter of 2023 before the rest of the continent in 2024.

In contrast, the unveiling of new models does not happen in Europe but in China during the recent Shanghai Auto Show, now the largest automotive event on the planet. Two cars were presented: the ZEEKR 001 sedan, with a promised range of 600 km, and the small SUV ZEEKR X. It is this last one that should be most feared, as it ticks all the boxes for success. Design, finish, technology, connectivity, and PRICE! For the X model (thank you Tesla!), the Chinese firm targets an entry price of €25,000! Yet, its technical specs are nothing like a budget car: 440 km range, 2 or 4-wheel drive, from 274 to 470 hp, 0 to 100 km/h in 3.7 seconds…

Despite being less than two years old, ZEEKR has sold 100,000 cars in China, and its stock market valuation is already $13 billion. That’s 3 billion more than Renault, which sells several million cars annually around the world and boasts a century-long reputation. Financial analysts are not mistaken and see enormous potential in this new brand, which, like artificial intelligence disrupting our world, learns from industry’s past mistakes at a devilish speed.

To get a ZEEKR, like Tesla, there will be prestigious “corners” in major cities. Purchase will be directly online, just like buying a smartphone, with delivery to your home. Goodbye salespeople and their costs that weigh into the sale price. Whether you like it or not, this is the direction of history, and Old Europe has only a few months to get in tune, clear the financial weight of its industrial and social heritage centered on internal combustion (which Tesla does not suffer from, hence its ability to be very aggressive on pricing), and impose new rules of the game if it wants to survive. Otherwise, it will have to accept disappearing.

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