Zeekr, the luxury electric car brand by China’s Geely Automobile Holdings, is all set to introduce its Zeekr 001 shooting-brake and Zeekr X SUV models in Kazakhstan by the last quarter of 2023. This move comes as part of Zeekr’s expansion plans, following its recent announcements about entering new markets. Alongside Kazakhstan, the company also intends to start selling its vehicles in Europe and Israel by the end of this year.
Zeekr’s push into these new markets has been driven by the $750 million Series A funding it secured in February. This funding significantly raised the company’s valuation to $13 billion. This fresh capital injection was primarily allocated to technology research and expanding their presence in various markets.
Zeekr, just two years old, has already achieved sales of over 100,000 vehicles, mainly in China. Its success can be attributed in part to its direct-to-consumer business approach, which it aims to replicate in all its new markets. In Kazakhstan, local partner Orbis Auto, an automotive distributor, will assist in establishing sales and after-sales services. The pre-sale in Kazakhstan is set to start in September, with deliveries scheduled for November.
While Zeekr hasn’t disclosed the pricing for the Zeekr 001 and X models in Kazakhstan, in their first European markets, the Netherlands and Sweden, the flagship 001 is priced at around $65,000, while the X is priced around $50,000.
These two Zeekr models directly compete with Tesla’s Model Y crossover. The Zeekr 001 offers a range of approximately 375 miles, while the X provides an almost 350-mile range. Both vehicles also come with over-the-air software updates.
Furthermore, Zeekr appears to be eyeing the United States market as well, as indicated by recent job postings seeking a U.S.-based regulatory, policy, and compliance manager to support its efforts in the U.S. aftermarket segment. The company has expressed its intention to expand across most Western European countries by 2026.