Zeekr News

The rapid and seemingly unstoppable expansion of Chinese carmakers is something to behold.But is it too far-fetched to think all cars will be Chinese within the next 20 years? Or is it naive not to see it as a strong possibility?For a long time I’ve thought the emergence of new Chinese cars in Australia and globally was the natural progression of the car industry. New brands morph from alternative fledgling brands to mature and established ones. We saw this with Japanese brands such as Toyota, Mazda, Mitsubishi and Nissan which gained popularity in the 1960s and ’70s before becoming established go-to brands in the 1980s and ’90s as they fought homegrown heroes Ford and Holden for space in Australia's driveways. And it stayed that way until the first decade of the 2000s ticked over.Holden and Ford’s ranges and sales shrank giving way to the Koreans who filled the gap with Hyundai and Kia which have climbed high into the top 10 thanks to an excellent range of SUVs and EVs.They’re now marching towards the only brands that stand in their way - Mitsubishi, Ford, Mazda and Toyota - which, by the way, have about three EVs between them.And given another five years Kia and Hyundai may have been able to topple Toyota from number one. But it might be too late for that. The presence of a large and fast-growing force is creating major uncertainty for the established brands in the Australian market - the rise and rise of Chinese brands. At the end of 2024 there were 12 Chinese brands operating in Australia and this year we’re expecting at least another seven to arrive. To put that in perspective we currently have a total of 50 car brands in Australia and nine are Japanese. By the end of 2025 the Chinese tally could easily be 20 brands or 30 per cent of Australia's brand make up.Several Chinese brands have been in Australia for years and have already done the hard yards. It took MG a couple of attempts to find a foothold but it was the seventh best-selling brand in 2024, while GWM came in at 10th. LDV is further down but still sold more than 16,000 vehicles here last year.The newer Chinese arrivals show huge promise with most of them offering affordable electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids when the established brands have only a handful among them, usually at higher prices.BYD, Zeekr, Leapmotor, Geely, Deepal, XPeng, Smart, JAC, Aion, Chery and Jaecoo will spend 2025 launching a multitude of new vehicles here. BYD will be one to watch having sold more cars here last year than Mercedes-Benz and it will likely enter the top 10 best sellers next year. Geely, which is the ‘Volkswagen of China’ in terms of its size and how many brands it owns, is another to watch.Chinese car manufacturers' speed of production, the development of new platforms and technology, the low cost of batteries, availability of electronics and the breakthroughs being made in charging systems, plus the sheer amount of money and Chinese government support behind them make competition almost impossible for many other brands.It’s almost certain that some established brands will bow out of Australia, unable to compete with Chinese brands. It’s also feasible that within the next decade more than half the Australian market could be made up of Chinese brands. And surely some Chinese brands won’t be able to cut it here and leave, too.Who could survive? Well, time has shown that even the mighty like Holden have fallen if they don’t make the cars people want to buy. The sheer brute force of Chinese brands being able to offer what people want quickly and at a low price, and at an always improving tech level could be too difficult for many other brands to fight off.In an extreme scenario this could lead to a 100 per cent Chinese brand market within 15 years. Sounds far fetched? Well they’re a third of the way there already.  

Lynk & Co has detailed its upcoming flagship 900 three-row SUV with previously unheard-of driving range and an all-new battery type.

Yet another Chinese brand in Australia? Sort of.Zeekr Australia’s General Manager, William Zhou, told CarsGuide that thanks to the change in ownership and Lynk & Co falling under Zeekr’s direction, a launch is very much on the cards for Australia.“Exactly” Zhou said when asked about Lynk & Co now being possible for our market.“It’s something we’re working on right now," he said.“For us here, in a right hand drive market, Lynk & Co previously didn’t have right-hand drive products, so we’re working on that.“Also, because in Australia we know that EVs stand for technology and innovation, but when it comes to daily use plug-in hybrids should be another major choice. So we’re confident the current product from Lynk & Co with petrol and hybrid technology will do really well in Australia, so we’re pushing to have Lynk & Co products, but under one brand, Zeekr.”Zhou explained it would be a full-control type scenario in Australia, with Lynk & Co models being distributed by Zeekr from the same dealer network the premium Chinese marque is currently building out in Australia.Lynk & Co and Zeekr were completely separate entities prior to November 2024, when both brand’s ultimate parent company, Geely, re-organised its shareholdings to place Lynk & Co under the control of Zeekr, divesting Volvo’s share from the business.Zhou wants Lynk & Co hybrids to hit our shores in the near future.“I think we’re trying for next year, but nothing is confirmed yet. There’s a lot of engineering involved.” said Zhou.Zhou said Australia is a priority and could potentially be the first RHD market for Lynk & Co.“We’ll try”, Zhou explained of Australia being a launch-market for right-hand drive. “I think the European market is hard . There are some tariff issues. Maybe the UK. But Australia is an iconic market for right-hand drive, so we’re working on that.”Zhou wasn’t ready to talk exactly what product was high on the right-hand drive priority list, but he said the company was very conscious of not overlapping with Zeekr models in order to make sure both nameplates had a chance to shine.“We should position smartly. With the future coming models from Lynk & Co we should work on how to make it cover the range without cannibalising each other.”Zeekr’s current and future line-up consists of the X small SUV, 009 people mover, and 7X mid-sizer, which leaves room for several products from Lynk & Co.A good place to start would be one of its more recent models, the 08 SUV that would bring a coupe-sized plug-in hybrid alternative to sit underneath the slightly larger, more conventional 7X SUV from Zeekr.The 08 rides on Volvo’s compact modular architecture (CMA) and is available as a plug-in hybrid (EM-P in Lynk & Co language), which pairs a 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine with a dedicated hybrid transmission and massive 39.6kWh battery pack good for a driving range of up to 245km according to the lenient CLTC testing cycle. If it maintains a similar specification, it would be the longest range plug-in hybrid in Australia.Other options include the 07 sedan with a similar PHEV drivetrain, 05 small coupe SUV (essentially a PHEV take on the Volvo C40 electric SUV). Less likely seems to be the XC40-based 01 SUV and 03 sedan, and the now-dated 09 SUV.The 900 six-seat flagship SUV, which sit on the latest SPA Evo architecture complete with next-generation styling, could be a possibility.The 900 features the brand’s next-gen plug-in hybrid tech consisting of either a 530kW model using a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine and a 43.3kWh battery pack providing up to 185km of EV driving range on the CLTC standard, or a 2.0-litre four-cylinder model providing up to 630kW that has an even larger 50kWh battery pack providing a driving range of up to 220km (CLTC).Zeekr has only just started deliveries in Australia, with a mere 100 units on the road, but Zhou said the brand is happy with the level of demand it is seeing for its existing range of premium electric models, which serve as an alternative to the likes of BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Audi.The brand also needs to fight off other newcomers such as Xpeng, Chery’s Jaecoo sub-brand, and BYD’s Denza marque, which all have similar ambitious plans for Australia in 2025 and beyond.

A new front has opened up in the battle for the hearts and dollars of electric car buyers.Geely is the latest carmaker to begin rolling out advanced self-driving technology.The tech, dubbed 'G-Pilot', is aimed at Tesla's 'Full Self Driving' and BYD’s new 'God’s Eye' semi-autonomous driving functions.Geely just launched in Australia with its new EX5 electric mid-size SUV.It has been reported that the new technology will be made available in a range of Geely brands going forward, including Zeekr, which launched in Australia in 2024.It is also possible the new tech will feature in other brands under the Geely umbrella such as Volvo, Polestar, Smart and Lotus.The tech is available with a range of capabilities, but the fully-loaded version comes with 12 cameras, multiple Lidars and three radars.This means it is capable of full self driving in the future, but it is not yet allowed or trained to do it.The tech is also AI assisted, which means it is constantly learning and the rollout is likely to be used as broad learning for the tech to help it achieve full self-driving.For now it can navigate on highways and city streets by itself but always needs a human in charge.Autonomous tech isn’t particularly popular in markets such as Australia, but this advanced technology is highly desirable in China where a massive highway system makes the technology more useful.Geely's move follows BYD’s recent announcement its God’s Eye technology would be rolled out to its entire range.Older BYDs are unlikely to be compatible with the new software as they don’t have the necessary hardware — cameras and Lidar systems — to make it work.Recent spy shots of upgraded BYD Atto 3 and Dolphin models in China show new cameras in the bumper that would allow this tech to work.A class action lawsuit has been levelled at Tesla in Australia, with its 'Autopilot' feature one of the main points of contention. It is being organised by law firm JGA Saddler and alleges Tesla sold vehicles that were defective in Australia.It concerns Tesla Model 3 and Model Y vehicles built from 2021 onwards that are equipped with the Autopilot feature.It said the hardware on Tesla vehicles is incapable of supporting fully-autonomous or close to autonomous driving despite claims to the contrary.

Despite a backwards step in 2024, Chinese cars are on-track to bounce back in 2025 as a flood of new brands enter the market.While brands like BYD, MG, GWM and Chery have already established themselves, a new wave is on the way to challenge Japan as Australia’s biggest car importer.By the end of 2024 there were 12 Chinese brands officially in the Australian market and at least two more have announced plans for entry into our market in 2025 with more expected to follow. Japan, by contrast, only has nine brands in our local market but still comfortably leads the overall production with nearly 379,000 vehicles from Japan sold here in 2024.That compares to 272,139 from Thailand and 176,159 from China. Those figures don’t account for a brand’s national base but rather simply where they are built, so it includes certain Tesla, Volvo and other models from different brands.But while Japan and Thailand still lead the way as the most popular countries for new-car production, China appears on-course to overtake them in the not-too-distant future at the current rate.With the likes of Zeekr, Leapmotor, Deepal, XPeng, Geely, Smart, JAC, GAC/Aion, Jaecoo and more set to grow in 2025, plus expanded product lines from BYD, MG, GWM and Chery, the approximate 96,000 sales difference between China and Thailand could shrink dramatically this year.The industry is well aware of the rapid growth of the Chinese car industry in Australia, with Toyota Australia’s Head of Sales, Marketing and Franchise Operations, Sean Hanley, commenting this week: “The Australian new-car market has always been one of the most competitive in the world, and 2025 will be no different. We expect to see more new brands and models, which means more choice and even stronger competition, which, in the end, is great for the consumer.“By all reports, there could be a dozen new Chinese car companies arriving in Australia by the end of next year. In the past five years, they have taken more than 13 percentage points of market share from established brands.”Hanley was quick to point out that while these new brands have taken significant market share, Toyota remains the clear leader.However, that growth must come from somewhere and that will force brands across the market to react to this new array of rivals. This is likely to result in increased competition for Australian buyers at a time when cost-of-living pressures are expected to cool the market after record sales in 2024.

The head of Geely-owned car brand Zeekr has confirmed the once-EV-only company will flip to launch two plug-in hybrids in 2025.

Speaking to CarsGuide at a brand preview event in China, Zeekr’s Australian head of marketing Andrew Haurissa explained that early signs indicated its premium messaging was attracting buyers from the most steadfast luxury brands.While Australia is about to be inundated with an array of new Chinese brands, Geely’s luxury Zeekr arm will be the first to reach beyond the mainstream segment, to challenge perhaps the most difficult corner of the market — the luxury buyer.In this segment, where value is less important and brand cachet survives above all, is Zeekr hitting the mark?According to Haurissa, despite the brand’s strategy of undercutting its key rivals in the space, early signs had buyers coming from Volvo, BMW, and more. “They’re mostly from premium brands” he says of the buyers interested in its first two models, the X small SUV and 009 people mover “These are people who were looking to buy Volvos for example, or even BMWs, sales we’ve converted over from those brands.“The interest coming from the mainstream part of the market I think is because of the amount of noise in the market on all of the new players coming from China”“But ultimately our buyers are looking away from price points, they’re attracted by a Zeekr vehicle itself”He says primarily what buyers are telling the brand in its initial roll-out phase, is more that they are attracted by the futuristic design and having better cabin tech than many other options in the luxury space.“What we found about those just looking for a Chinese vehicle is that they’re surprised isn’t as big as other Chinese cars. These buyers are less well informed and more concerned about price-point. They might tell us the car is impressive but the price point isn’t right."He said ultimately buyers weren’t stepping up from mainstream brands despite the more accessible price point, and that the initial phase, at least, had customers leaning more toward the top-spec all-wheel drive version ($64,900 before on-road costs). An early indicator of the brand’s more luxury messaging getting through.But the comparatively low price-point was still a draw according to Haurissa “It’s a compromise we’re making, and people have the mindset that because you’re an unknown brand, you should be more affordable”“But we say come and compare us like-for-like and you’ll see the difference.”Additionally, lower prices are still a formula for success specifically in the premium EV segment, as many brands are struggling to gain traction with products further up the price-scale.“The premium market has remained strong, but with EVs there are players out there who are definitely doing it right” he says, perhaps a not-so-veiled hint at BMW’s more competitively priced EVs like the iX1, iX3, and iX SUVs selling much better than rival products further up the price-scale from Mercedes-Benz and others, in no small part due to some versions getting in under the LCT threshold for fuel efficient vehicles.Additionally, Haurissa said there’s been a notable shift in the last two years around what once rusted-on buyers are willing to try “The average 55-plus buyer for the first time is very open to trying new things – it’s a very interesting time in the market” he said.“You have to remember what ‘premium’ or ‘luxury’ means is different things to different groups in the market” pointing out that Zeekr was breaking new ground and not “sugarcoating” its status as a Chinese brand.“We’re premium and we’re Chinese. We’re not a European brand with 100 years of history. If we’re compared to the Europeans - let the user have that discussion, it’s just up to us to provide the best product we can.”Zeekr will not only need to gain buyers from the likes of BMW, Volvo, and Mercedes though, as it will also go into battle in 2025 against other more aspirational challenger brands from China like Xpeng, Chery’s Jaecoo, and potentially MG’s IM Motors.One thing is for sure, the sales charts this time in 12 months are set to look very different.

Ask Toyota — the world’s biggest carmaker — and two brands are enough.Yes, Toyota makes trucks under the Hino brand and also has the minnow Daihatsu in its stable, but it is essentially Toyota and Lexus and that’s it.Part of Toyota’s success in Australia is it sells a vehicle for everyone, and every occasion.Lexus rarely steps on its big brother’s toes, with a clear premium divide separating the two.Now Chinese behemoth, Geely, is gearing up for an assault on the Australian market.It has a strong toehold Down Under with Volvo and Polestar, but after that is where things get murky.It also has Lotus, Smart, Zeekr and its home brand Geely to forge ahead with in 2025.Volvo and Polestar have clearly positioned themselves in the luxury space, but Geely, Smart and Zeekr are chasing the same mainstream buyers.All three are electric only, and are launching with semi-premium compact and mid-size SUVs.They are essentially the same vehicle underneath a slightly different styled skin. But electric cars all have similar looks, honed for aerodynamics, which gives them all a same-same-ness despite a tweaked non-grille or headlight treatment.The brands all share motors, batteries and tech features, which helps amortise costs, but can be a challenge when attempting to stand out from the crowd.Geely recently merged two of its brands, Zeekr and Lynk and Co, to reduce internal competition.According to Reuters, Geely boss Gui Shengyue said the integration would make the company more competitive."If we don't integrate , we must face issues such as internal competition ... and redundant investments in many aspects such as R&D, sales, which is stupid," he said according to Reuters.Geely isn’t alone in crowding its own space.The huge Volkswagen Group has Volkswagen, Skoda and newcomer Cupra all lobbing cars in a similar price bracket.The big difference is only Cupra is new, the VW Group isn’t attempting to launch three new brands in the space of 12 months that sell effectively the same cars.It’ll be a challenge for these three Chinese brands to stand out.They also face a wave of competition following them across the sea. GAC, Aion, Xpeng, Skywell, Leapmotor and Deepal are all planning to launch or have launched into the same market space as their compatriots.Not to mention established brands such as BYD, Chery, GWM and MG already with a group of loyal buyers and brand cache.It is starting to feel like China’s car industry is replacing the building industry responsible for towering ghost towns as its biggest economic driver and they need to find export markets quickly to keep the production lines open and the steel mills firing.Australia is a prime target with its lack of tariffs and relatively close proximity to the Chinese mainland.There are storm clouds brewing on the edge of the Australia new car market, though.Electric cars still only make up about 8.3 per cent of new cars bought through the first 11 months of 2024. More EVs have found homes this year than last, but less than 10 per cent is still relatively niche.Private buyers — generally the ones snapping up EVs — are stepping away from new car purchases at an alarming rate.Double digit drops in private buyers in each of the past four months compared to the year before is a worrying trend according to the head of the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries, Tony Weber.“This is a disturbing trend which illustrates how cost of living pressures are impacting households,” he said.Only time will tell if these brands can make it work, but it’ll be a tough slog in 2025.

Just what is a “software-defined vehicle”? Why did we start calling electricity “new energy”? And who or what are Xiaomi and Zeekr? A lot of new buzz words and terms have appeared in the car world in 2024 and it’s had all of us scrambling to keep on top of the new lingo. So, that had us thinking: what have been the standout new entries into the car vocabulary in the year that was? Here’s a quick r

Zeekr is the first Chinese premium brand to launch in Australia, but by the end of 2025 it will be far from the only option.