First ZEEKR 009 MPVs roll off assembly line in China with 500+ mile range

Just over six months after teasing first images of its second EV model, Chinese automaker ZEEKR has officially begun production of the 009 MPV. Deliveries of the all-electric, multi-purpose vehicle are expected to follow soon, contributing to the Geely sub-brand’s quick growth and early success.

ZEEKR remains a relatively young luxury EV automotive brand in China founded as recently as 2021 under Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co., Ltd, better known as Geely. Geely added ZEEKR to its EV umbrella as a high-end marque to compete in China against fellow automakers like Tesla and NIO. So far, it’s held its own and reported decent quarterly numbers in 2022.

The company’s flagship EV – the ZEEKR 001 – began deliveries overseas over a year ago, ahead of publicly shared plans to eventually expand to new markets in both North America and the EU. Before then however, ZEEKR has been working to deliver its second EV, the 009 which it began teasing last summer.

By August, we had our first full look at the MPV, which will feature CATL’s energy dense Qilin batteries, a contributor to the 822 km range the higher-tier version of the ZEEKR 009 is touting now that production is officially underway.

ZEEKR shared images of the first 009 models rolling off its assembly line Ningbo, Zhejiang province of China yesterday. Deliveries will soon follow. The ZEEKR 009 officially launched sales in China this past November, offering two different versions – the WE and ME.

The Zeekr 009 comes standard with a dual motor powertrain with 400 kW peak power, plus ternary lithium batteries. The size of those packs does vary alongside starting MSRP. For example, the WE trim starts at RMB 499,000 ($73,680) and includes an 116 kWh battery offering 702 km (436 miles) of range.

The higher end model includes an 140 kWh pack that includes the aforementioned Qilin technology, delivering 822 km (~511 miles) of range on a single charge and starts at a price of RMB 588,000 ($86,822). It’s important to note that these range estimates are CLTC and would likely equate to significantly lower distances from the EPA. Still impressive for such a large EV, nonetheless.

Even as the lower-end trim, ZEEKR is touting the WE 009 as the first MPV in China to eclipse 700 km CLTC range. In December, ZEEKR announced it had surpassed its output goal of 70,000 units for 2022 and shortly followed up with targeted plans for 140,000 annual units from 2023 onward.

So far, there have been no talks of a third model in the ZEEKR family, nor has the Geely brand shared more details of its expansions into new markets like the US. However, the company did quietly file for a US IPO in December.

At the pace this EV automaker is moving, we are sure to hear some more news soon.