Geely’s E.V. Brand Zeekr Jumps on the Gigapress Bandwagon

Geely’s E.V. brand Zeekr is the latest to join a growing list of automakers that have turned to the “gigapress” die-casting technique pioneered by Tesla to slash the cost of electric cars.

Several Chinese carmakers have been working to adapt the technology, but only a few can deliver the larger die casts required for manufacturing. That’s because they have a way to go in developing vehicles before they can fully benefit from this new manufacturing method, which allows for large-scale production of E.V. components.

In a blog post, Zeekr’s manufacturing technology chief Jiang Kehong told Reuters that the Chinese carmaker had started using massive aluminum die casts to make a large rear underbody section of its Zeekr 009 six-seat, multi-purpose van (MPV). It’s also reportedly planning to develop an electric pickup truck to compete against U.S. automaker start-up Rivian and other rivals such as Tesla and Ford Motor Company.

The electric-vehicle market in China is set to grow 40 percent per year through 2025, and Geely’s CEO Li Shufu is committed to developing its new-energy lineup to account for 90% of its sales by 2020. To help get there, Geely has forged collaboration pacts with companies from search-engine heavyweight Baidu Inc to Apple’s manufacturing partner Foxconn Technology Group and Tencent Holdings Ltd.

Several of those partnerships are based on a standard software system called Smart Geely. It’s part of the ‘Smart Geely 2025 Strategy’ roadmap, which aims to boost annual sales from Geely Auto Group, Lynk & Co, Polestar, and Geometry brands to 3.65 million units.

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By 2025, Geely’s goal is to deliver a new electric vehicle to the market annually. It will do this by producing vehicles under the Zeekr brand, positioned as a luxury-EV sister brand to its Lynk & Co, Volvo, and Polestar brands.

It will use Geely’s Sustainable Experience Architecture (SEA) modular E.V. platform capable of single-, dual- or tri-motor setups. In addition, it can support Over the Air updates and autonomous driving technologies. It can also boast a range of over 700km when complying with the more lenient NEDC standard.

The Zeekr 001, the first model from the premium brand, made its world debut at Auto Shanghai 2021, where it was officially launched. Its svelte coupe can reach 710 kilometers (440 miles) of range and cost about 281,000 yuan after government subsidies, which compares to 249,900 yuan for a Tesla Model 3.

Zeekr will have its first model delivered in September this year and is targeting 8,000 deliveries in the fourth quarter of this year, rising to 50,000 in 2022 after two more models are added. In addition, it is seeking to build a global brand, with exports to Europe and the U.S. slated to begin in late-2022 or early 2023, and further out, an overseas initial public offering is possible, An said.

The Zeekr 001 is an impressive machine, with 100 kWh of CATL battery capacity and a claimed rate of charge of 360 kW that can add 120 km in five minutes. In addition, it has an electronically-governed top speed of 200 km/h (124 mph). The car will be available in various color options and is expected to cost at least $245,000 when it goes on sale later this year.