Zeekr, which is Geely’s premium electric vehicle brand, has started production of the 009 MPV at its facility in Ningbo, Zhejiang, with deliveries expected to begin soon after in China.
The Rolls-Royce-like Zeekr 009 is an all-electric people carrier that comes with a 400 kW (536 horsepower) dual-motor powertrain as standard, which can propel the 6,239-pound (2,830-kilograms) minivan from 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) in just 4.5 seconds.
Two battery options are available for the 205-inch (5.2-meter) long EV, starting with a 116 kWh pack that offers a maximum driving range of 436 miles (702 km), while the bigger variant offers 140 kWh and a total range of 510 miles (822 km) on China’s CLTC test cycle.
It’s also worth noting that the Zeekr 009 with the bigger battery pack is the first production vehicle to feature CATL’s series-produced Qilin lithium-nickel-manganese-cobalt cells, the company’s third-generation of cell-to-pack (CTP) technology. The revised Zeekr 001 will also feature the same 140-kWh battery, but because we’re talking about a smaller and lighter vehicle, the range is rated at an impressive 641 miles (1,031 km).
The Zeekr 009 electric minivan starts at RMB 499,000 (or around $73,700 at current exchange rates) for the WE trim, while the higher-end model with the bigger battery has a starting price of RMB 588,000 ($86,800).
For this kind of money, Zeekr offers its customers 30 advanced driver assistance systems powered by Mobileye’s seven 8MP HD cameras, four 2MP 360-degree cameras, 12 short-range ultrasonic radars, and one long-range millimeter wave radar.
There’s also air suspension with self-leveling and electromagnetic vibration damping, a 20-speaker Yamaha surround-sound system, voice recognition, and face recognition.
The electric 009 has six individual seats wrapped in Nappa full-grain leather, with a massaging function for the second row – the most important one for the Chinese market – as well as a ceiling-mounted 15.6-inch screen. As an option, customers can spec their luxury minivan in a 2+2 executive configuration, for even more exclusivity.
With production now underway, deliveries are soon to follow on the Chinese market, where luxury minivans are the hot new thing among premium brands.
