2023 Zeekr 001 has optional Qilin Battery with 1,032 km range

Zeekr, the luxury electric car brand owned by Geely, has announced that the 2023 Zeekr 001 is now available for purchase. While the exterior appearance of the vehicle remains unchanged, the company has made several improvements to the internal and external features of the car.

Additionally, customers now have the option to choose a Qilin Battery from CATL for their Zeekr 001. Zeekr is offering customers the choice of four base configurations for the Zeekr 001: two WE Editions, one ME Edition, and one YOU Edition.

The WE Editions of the Zeekr 001 come in two versions: one with a 100 kWh battery pack and a range of 741 km, and one with an 86 kWh battery pack and a range of 546 km. The former is powered by a single motor that drives the rear wheels, and it can accelerate from 0 to 100 kilometers per hour in 6.9 seconds. The latter is equipped with two motors that drive all four wheels, and it has a faster acceleration time of 3.8 seconds from 0 to 100 kilometers per hour.

Both the ME Edition and the YOU Edition of the Zeekr 001 are equipped with a 100 kWh battery pack, two motors for all-wheel drive, and have a range of 656 kilometers. They can also both accelerate from 0 to 100 kilometers per hour in 3.8 seconds.

Contradicting an earlier statement made by a Zeekr official in November, the prices of the two more affordable versions of the 2023 Zeekr 001 have been raised. It is worth noting that this price increase has occurred despite the official's assertion that the brand would not be making any pricing changes.

The base price of the WE Editions of the Zeekr 001 has been increased to RMB 300,000 ($43,500), a small increase from the previous price of RMB 299,000. The ME Edition and the YOU Edition will continue to be sold at their original prices of RMB 349,000 and 386,000, respectively.

Last year, China offered financial incentives for the purchase of new energy vehicles (NEVs) that were either priced below RMB 300,000 or had the capability for battery exchange. However, these incentives were no longer available after December 31st.

The Zeekr 001 was previously priced with the intention of qualifying for a subsidy of more than RMB 10,000 for buyers of the WE Editions. In addition to the existing exterior color options of orange, black, and blue, Zeekr is now offering a sport package option for the 2023 Zeekr 001.

The Z-Sport package is an additional feature that can be purchased for RMB 35,000, but it is only available for the YOU Edition with the 100 kWh battery pack. Zeekr also offers a performance wheelset package for the ME Edition with the 100 kWh battery pack and the YOU Edition with the 100 kWh battery pack for a cost of RMB 19,000.

Zeekr also offers customers the option of purchasing a single-motor WE version with a 100 kWh pack that comes equipped with a 140 kWh Qilin Battery. This allows the vehicle to have a CLTC range of 1,032 kilometers. There is a limited availability of 1,000 units for the Qilin Battery option, which can be purchased for an additional cost of RMB 103,000.

The Zeekr 001, with a range of more than 1,000 kilometers, has a starting price of RMB 403,000. This information was included in a publication by the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology on December 19th, which specifically mentioned the Zeekr 001's range of 1,032 kilometers.

The data shows that the battery pack of the Zeekr 001 has a weight of 727.21 kilograms and an energy density of 200 watt-hours per kilogram. In CLTC conditions, the car has a curb weight of 2,345 kg and a fuel consumption rate of 14.9 kWh per 100 km.

CATL introduced the Qilin battery, also known as the CTP (cell to pack) 3.0 battery, on June 23 with the aim of improving battery system integration. At the time, the company claimed that the Qilin Battery allows for a volume utilization of more than 72 percent and an energy density of 255Wh/kg, which enables a vehicle range of 1,000 kilometers.

CATL announced on August 27 that Zeekr will be the first vehicle brand to use its Qilin Battery, and that the Zeekr 009 MPV will be the first vehicle powered by the Qilin Battery. CATL also stated that the Zeekr 009 will be the first vehicle powered by the Qilin Battery.

The company announced that the Zeekr 001 would use an ultra-long-range version of the Qilin Battery and would be the first production model in the world to feature the Qilin Battery with a range of 1,000 kilometers.

Zeekr stated that it expects to begin shipping the Zeekr 009 equipped with the Qilin Battery in the first quarter of 2023, and the Zeekr 001 equipped with the battery will be available in the second quarter of the same year.

According to statistics released today, Zeekr delivered a record number of 11,337 vehicles in December, bringing the total number of vehicles supplied by the company for 2022 to 71,941.

Via