Zeekr officially delivered the 001 shooting brake to the first European customer nine months after it announced the EU expansion plan at the Shanghai Auto Show in April. The delivery ceremony took place in Zeekr’s delivery center in Zeist, Netherlands.
“Incredibly proud of the amazing Zeekr Europe team that has made this possible,” commented Zeekr European CEO Spiros Fotinos, who personally attended the event.
The presale of the Zeekr 001 and Zeekr X mid-size SUV started in June in the Netherlands and Sweden for 59,490 euros and 44,990 euros, respectively. On August 2, the first 001 manufactured for the European market rolled off the assembly line in China, and on August 25, it set sail for the Old Continent.
Zeekr previously announced it plans to expand to 4 European countries by 2024 and establish an international presence in eight countries by 2025. Currently, Zeekr has direct-operated stores in China, the Netherlands, and Sweden, and test drivers of X and 001 are now available in both EU countries.
Zeekr Europe is headquartered in Gothenburg, Sweden. In October, the company moved its main sales office into the Netherlands, making Amsterdam its “home of European sales,” EV media Electrek reported. Zeekr plans to move 80 people from Gothenburg to Amsterdam and hire another 100 locally.
In September, Zeekr unveiled a performance version of 001 called 001 FR with 1247 hp and 0-100 km/h acceleration of 2.07 seconds, overtaking the Tesla Model S Plaid. The sports car can also perform 360-degree tank turn. The 001 FR is rumored to make it to Europe like its slower brother, 001, but no timeline was provided.
Zeekr is an EV brand under the Chinese automotive giant Geely Group. Geely is one of the most successful Chinese EV makers in Europe. It already sells lots of China-made EVs under brands such as Lynk&Co, Polestar, and Lotus in Germany, the Netherlands, and other countries.
In China, Zeekr sells three models: 001 shooting brake, 009 MPV, and X SUV. The 009 will not make it to Europe – however, its rebadged version Volvo EM90, might be more lucky. Zeekr sold 13,104 EVs in China in November, up 23% from last year. Cumulative deliveries in 2023 (January – November) are 102,752 units.
In China, 001 is offered in 6 trims with RWD or AWD powertrains and 86, 100, and 140 kWh battery options. To Europe, Zeekr brought three of them: Long Range RWD with a 200 kW motor, a WLTP range of 620 km, and two AWD trims with 400 kW motors, acceleration of 0-100 km/h in 3.8 seconds and 590 km range.
Zeekr is wasting no time in Europe! It’s exciting to see the first customer take delivery of their 001 shooting brake. I wonder if they got the high-performance 001 FR version – that thing sounds like a beast!