Zeekr launches cross-generation ADAS upgrade for older 001 and 009 models, moving to 700 TOPS system
Zeekr has launched a crowdfunding campaign in China to upgrade the driver-assistance systems on older 2024 Zeekr 001 and 009 models. The plan allows vehicles currently using a Mobileye EyeQ5H setup, rated at just 48 TOPS, to be replaced with Zeekr’s in-house G-Pilot H7 system, built on Nvidia’s Drive Thor-U architecture and delivering up to 700 TOPS of computing power, as reported by Autohome.
The campaign runs from November 24 to December 24, 2025, targeting more than 70,000 eligible vehicles in China that have lidar but lack the H7 system. Zeekr has set the crowdfunding price at 13,500 yuan (about 1,900 USD) for the 001, requiring at least 3,000 participants, and 18,500 yuan (about 2,600 USD) for the 009, with a target of 1,500 contributors.
Upgrading to the H7 system involves a significant hardware and software overhaul: replacing underlying chips, rewiring harnesses, and re-architecting system deployments. Zeekr says it will absorb development costs and some hardware expenses. According to internal estimates, once the crowdfunding campaign succeeds and customers apply their “ADAS benefit vouchers,” 001 owners will pay no more than 15,000 yuan (≈ 2,100 USD) out of pocket, while 009 owners will pay up to 20,000 yuan (≈ 2,800 USD).
The technical challenge is substantial: Zeekr says each 001 will require nearly 60 individual parts to be replaced, and the hardware alone is worth over 30,000 yuan (4,200 USD), while the labour for the retrofit will take more than 20 hours. Zeekr reportedly spent almost 200 million yuan (28 million USD) in early development to validate the concept.
To further ease the burden on owners, Zeekr is offering a “ADAS Voucher” worth 20,000 yuan (≈ 2,800 USD) to all first-owners of non-H7 001/009 models. This voucher can either offset the upgrade cost in the crowdfunding or, before the end of 2030, be used toward the down payment of a new Zeekr vehicle with G-Pilot H7.
The move is part of Zeekr’s broader push to win back trust amid faster-than-expected model renewals. Several owners have publicly welcomed the gesture, calling it “sincere” and a sign of the brand retracing its steps to keep existing customers technologically relevant.
