New spy shots have emerged of the forthcoming Zeekr CX1E, this time without such heavy camouflage. CX1E is likely just the internal codename for the car rather than the final name which will adorn it when it debuts later this year – previous reports suggested the car might become the Zeekr Ark.
A mid-size SUV its destined to become the main SUV for the Zeekr range and the car is heavily related to the Zeekr 007. This relationship extends across platforms, technology, and design. From the spy shots we can see that the CX1E adopts the same Hidden Energy design language as the Zeekr 007. It has a simple shape with a sense of science and technology. Although the car is still camouflaged we can see slender LED daytime running lights and the light cluster design is likely to be very similar to the 007, and so include the smart light curtain. This 90-inch light strip can communicate messages to other road users using more than 2,400 LED lights.
At the side the waistline seems to rise up progressively towards the tail. The back of the roof has a spoiler and the tailgate has a ducktail end. We can clearly see through type taillights. An interior spy shots shows a large floating center screen and probably an LCD instrument cluster. We can also see a multi-function steering wheel like on the new Zeekr 001.
Cockpit specifications are likely to be similar to the Zeekr 007 (see specs) which has a 15.05-inch 2.5K OLED infotainment unit that supports three way rotation, a curved LCD instrument panel, and a 35.5-inch head-up display. Power comes from a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8295 chip with NPU computing power of 30 TOPS.
The CX1E will use Geely’s SEA (Sustainable Electric Architecture) platform and be the sixth model in the Zeekr range. It will almost certainly use 800V architecture and silicon carbide motors like in the 007. For reference, RWD versions of the 007 use a 310 kW motor and all-wheel drive versions add a 165 kW motor to the front axle.
Battery choices are also likely to be very similar to the Zeekr 007 which offers a choice between Geely’s self-developed Golden battery or CATL’s Qilin battery. The Golden battery is a lithium iron phosphate unit which claims a volume utilization of 83.7%. It is a 4.5C charging battery and in the 007 claims to be able to add 500 km of range in 15 minutes. The Qilin on the other hand is CATL’s advanced NMC battery which also supports fast charging speeds. Range for the new car is expected to be more than 700 km.
Fast Technology believes the CX1E will go against cars such as the Tesla Model Y, Denza N7 and Ford Mustang Mach E and so we can expect prices somewhere in the 240,000 to 350,000 yuan range (33,050 – 48,200 USD). The car should be unveiled before the end of the year and possibly around the time of the Guangzhou Auto Show in November.
Sources: Autohome, Fast Technology
