After the 001 and 009, Zeekr is working on the development of a new electric car, the Zeekr 003. This then takes the form of a compact SUV still heavily camouflaged and designed for launch in Europe. Expected in the coming months, this should thrill the Renault Mégane E-Tech and other Volkswagen ID.3s.
Right now
8 months Free on the ULYS electronic toll badge
If you haven’t heard of Zeekr before, that should change soon. Because the Chinese firm, part of the Geely group alongside Volvo, Lotus or Lynk & Co is on the way to becoming essential in the automotive market. If it is for the time being only marketed in its native country, it should not delay any longer to also invade Europe, in the same way as BYD, Nio or even Xpeng. This does not fail to worry the specialists.
A model designed for Europe
Last November, the company created in 2021 formalized its 009, a large high-end van which will soon be available in a version designed in partnership with Volvo for the Chinese market. A few months later, at the beginning of January, it was the turn of the Zeekr 001, a large electric sedan rival of the Tesla Model 3, to unveil its detailed and very promising technical specifications in a new version with 1,000 km of autonomy.
But the manufacturer obviously does not intend to stop there, especially since it plans to develop on the European market. For that, he needs more than a sedan and a huge van, which probably won’t make the trip to us. This is how Zeekr has just published a series of fake spyshots relayed by the Autohome site showing its next model. This one takes the name of 003 and is still heavily camouflagedcurrently in the testing phase on European roads.
Sporting a colorful body making it difficult to read the lines, this new compact SUV seems to display a front end quite close to the 001, which is reminiscent of what Lynk & Co already offers. Logical when we know that both brands belong to the same group. We therefore find similar vertical optics, surmounting a thin light band at the front. The design of the car seems to have been worked to ensure optimal aerodynamics, with, among other things, body-integrated handles.
Note, however, that thehe SUV has real mirrors, not cameras. At the rear, it is distinguished by lights with a very particular and modern design, then taking the form of a simple light strip. We notice all the same what looks like vertical reflectors a little lower. This new Zeekr 003 should have a length of about 4.38 meters, 11 centimeters than the Smart #1, one of its main rivals.
Up to 1,000 kilometers?
The wheelbase should measure 2.75 meters, which should comfortably accommodate passengers. No photo of the driving position has yet been unveiled, but it could be close to that of the Zeekr 001 with its 14.7-inch touchscreen and 8.8-inch digital handset. However, we will have to wait before knowing more about this.
No information has been revealed on the technical sheet of this future Zeekr 003, which could very well take over the engine of its big sister. As a reminder, it is available in several versions, including autonomy varies between 546 and 1,032 kilometers in a single charge according to the Chinese CLTC cycle. The latter is then much more optimistic than our WLTP, and you have to remove around 15%, which gives a maximum of around 850 to 900 kilometers.
The electric SUV could then be equipped with the Qilin CTP 3.0 battery developed by the Chinese giant CATL. Using cell-to-pack technology with cells integrated into the chassis, that of the 001 has a capacity of 100 kWh to 140 kWh. Rival of Tesla’s 4680 battery, it could be recharged in 10 minutes on a fast terminal delivering much more than the 360 kW currently available in France. Perhaps this will be possible with Nio’s 500 kW terminals currently in development.
This new Zeekr 003 should see the light of day in the coming months, after being revealed at the Shanghai Motor Show next April. It will first be sold in China before arriving in Europe a little later. Thus, it should compete head-on with the Renault Mégane E-Tech and the Volkswagen ID.3, but also with the MG 4 and its unbeatable price in the segment.
https://www.frandroid.com/produits-android/automobile/voitures-electriques/1576226_zeekr-001-2023-voici-la-voiture-aux-1-000-km-dautonomie-mais-il-y-a-un-hic
Do you use Google News (News in France)? You can follow your favorite media. Follow Aroged on Google News (and Numerama).
