On Wednesday, Zeekr, the electric brand of Geely Automobile Holdings (OTC:GELYY), announced the commencement of pre-orders for two of its luxurious all-electric cars in the Netherlands and Sweden. This move adds Zeekr to the increasing roster of Chinese electric vehicle manufacturers entering the European market.
According to the company, deliveries for the Zeekr 001 estate and the Zeekr X SUV are scheduled to commence in the autumn. The starting price for the Zeekr 001 is €59,490 (€1 = $1.0919), while the Zeekr X begins at €44,990.
"Our plan is that through 2026 we will cover the majority of western Europe," said head of Zeekr's Europe business, Spiros Fotinos. "We have several other models in the pipeline that you will see over the coming years and the aim, of course, is for us to be present in important segments in the European market."
Zeekr hopes to launch in Denmark, Germany, France and Norway in 2024.
Zeekr will open flagship stores in Stockholm and Amsterdam by the end of this year, but will pursue online sales rather than building out networks of dealers.
"There has been a lot of inherent inefficiency in the traditional distribution system and I think everyone is trying to squeeze that inefficiency out, because costs are increasing," Fotinos said.