Five-meter shooting brake, air suspension, Yamaha sound system and a camera system that constantly monitors events around the car. So, just as I tested this exotic vessel, clutching the heated steering wheel in my hands, I remembered the beginnings of modern electric mobility in the Czech Republic, when it was a winter miracle to drive from Hradec to Prague on one charge at least with a little comfort and with the very first Leaf or e-NV200 (24 kWh battery).
Photo: Tomáš Burian
The archive photo of the test of the first Leaf reminded me of the cars that pioneered modern electric mobility in the Czech Republic.
It’s been 10 years (hell, fly) and battery-powered cars have moved forward at such a pace that it’s hard to understand rationally. Now, at the beginning of 2024, we have electric cars with which you can travel the route Hradec Králové – Prague four times with a single charge in winter and also five times in summer. And we are talking about maximum comfort without limitations of temperature or other appliances.
One such example of rapid progress is the Chinese model Zeekr 001, whose Chinese DNA you wouldn’t even guess beyond the golden steering wheel. This attractive electric car was heavily inspired by Tesla (by the way, which China is not…), but the result is more than solid. And no, this car doesn’t cost three million or even two at full blast.
The design of the 001 car from the very young Zeekr brand (launched in 2021) is adapted to current automotive trends, where split lights dominate. Just look at the bonnet, where the daytime running lights and direction indicators are located, while the adaptive LED diode lights with Matrix technology have taken their place in the bumper.
Photo: Jiří Cermák
In the upper part there are the daytime running lights and direction indicators. At the bottom right is the reticle, on the left (off) the adaptive distances.
The side lines of the elegant Shooting Brake are not entirely smooth, you will find aerodynamic moldings that direct the airflow, especially in the lower part. The sides are also decorated with retractable handles, which you absolutely don’t have to reach. Just press them lightly and the door will open by itself. And no, they don’t actually crash into the next car.
You might think, what kind of useless crap is this, suitable only for expensive Tesla X, BMW 7 or Mercedes S, but you quickly get used to it. Not perhaps to hang out in front of prying eyes, but for convenience.
Photo: Jiří Cermák
The attractive appearance of the car is also reflected in the rear.
Even from the rear you will not lose the impression of luxury, the combined rear lights can welcome you with a pleasant play of light, complemented by the Zeekr lettering on the rear. There is no rear wiper, but the electrically operated fifth door with a sturdy split plate covers the double-bottom trunk with a total volume of 539 liters.
Of course, here we see that due to aerodynamics and batteries the trunk has been deceived, for example, compared to the station wagon Superb, but is it really necessary to transport furniture from the IKEA chain in the car every day? Especially if you still have modest space in the front to store the charging cable and the obligatory equipment.
And speaking of lights, the Zeekr 001 can start a Tesla-style light show, but it’s not as drenched as the North American manufacturer’s. But judge for yourself, we made a video for you.
Zeekr 001 light show and integrated Angry Birds game Video: Jan Majurník
For goodnight
After opening the door, sitting inside and pressing the brake to close it, you’ll discover a luxurious interior dominated by a panoramic sunroof with adjustable transparency and a giant central touchscreen. Again we recognize an unnamed North American brand and believe we are not alone.
The screen is really the main brain of the car, where, following Tesla’s example, you have relatively clear control of functions that you simply turn on and off. It’s a fast information system that doesn’t go to sleep, so it’s practically always active.
Photo: Jiří Cermák
Large central touchscreen with control of most functions? Where we just saw it…
The air conditioning control menu is again familiar to Tesla, as is the ability to open and close doors or folding mirrors made through a live model of the car on the main screen. Why do I live? The car visually faithfully demonstrates the behavior of the car in the sense of turning on the turn signals or lights or opening the doors.
There are also preset functions that you can use on the go or while charging. Navigation can be used either native or integrated Waze. As for games outside the information system, you can find for example Angry Birds, or you can surf the Internet using the integrated browser or listen to music via a music application. In short, I don’t want to repeat myself, but you know who originally brought this into mass production/popularity…
Photo: Jiří Cermák
Zeekr comes pre-installed with fun and handy apps.
Overall, I was able to work well with the large screen, and I was happy to take advantage of the quick change of driving modes, as it often snowed heavily during the test days.
I have to pay even more respect than the infotainment system to the anatomical leather seats with heating, ventilation, massage and memory. These long-distance assistants offer high comfort like in a better Mercedes, a decent range of settings and overall positive support for the driver during the journey.
But traveling also means tiredness, which personally hit me very hard one day in Moravská Třebová around 1 am on the way from Kopřivnice, so I put the car in the slow charging station and finally tried the function observed by time: the change the driver’s seat to the rest position.
Photo: Jiří Cermák
The seat is comfortable, heated, ventilated, ergonomic. Comparable to Mercedes.
After activating the function, the seat reclined comfortably and generally stood up, which, combined with the heating set at 22 degrees and the silent operation of the fan, paved the way for a quick fall asleep. I also made sure the car was locked, put the factory-provided pillow under his head, and covered his eyes with a cap. It didn’t take long and my almost three-hour motorist’s sleep on the heated “bed” began successfully. I really had no idea that it would be possible to relax like this in Zeekr.
An experience worthy of a BMW 7er
It’s time to take a look at the hardware of the Zeekru 001, where the specific warhead offers two electric motors with a total output of 400 kW (544 hp), each of which drives its own axis. The 686 Nm torque transmitted to all four wheels, together with the Linglong Green-Max winter footwear, therefore provided a rather interesting driving experience worthy of a Bavarian seven.
The main feature of the car is the air suspension already mentioned at the beginning, the lightness of which is automatically adjusted depending on the speed or the selected driving profile, which, among other things, influences the behavior of the car, especially the reaction to the accelerator pedal. Optimized steering and advanced safety systems go hand in hand.
I tested them at the Hradec Polygon, where any worries about the (un)safety of the car completely vanished. The working speed of ABS and electronic stabilization assistance is at the level of adult vehicles, while it is clear that chassis manufacturers Zeekra have really tuned the car.
I’m not afraid to say that in terms of ABS/ESP work, this China is performing similarly, if not better, than our Skoda. And there, chassis manufacturers with cars win many times into the sky, as demonstrated, for example, by the first diesel Kodiaq RS.
Photo: Jiří Cermák
The car’s stabilization systems are of a high standard.
In addition, the manufacturer has skillfully used a system of cameras that monitor the traffic around the vehicle and the lane of travel. In other words, as soon as I pressed harder on the brakes, emergency recording of events in the area immediately began. All this for the record of a possible incident/crisis.
But what if you don’t need to brake, but rather accelerate properly? From zero to one hundred, this 2.35 ton shooting brake with aerodynamic coefficient Cx 0.23 accelerates in 3.8 seconds and continues up to a maximum speed of 200 km/h.
Another relatively significant trump card of this car is its gigantic battery (lithium-manganese, cobalt, nickel technology) with a gross capacity of 100 kWh (95 kWh usable)! For this reason, according to the approval, this high-end equipment should travel up to 580 km on a single charge, while the lower specifications can go even further.
Photo: Jiří Cermák
The average consumption of winter tires has stabilized at 23 kWh per 100 km.
In the end, I managed to achieve an average consumption of 23 kWh percent in the winter season with 255/45 R21 winter tires with about 50% highway. Albeit at a rather defensive pace, but in full comfort, with the heating usually set at 22-23 degrees, active seat heating, steering wheel and massage.
Realistically, in winter the car can travel 400 km on a single charge, while as soon as summer arrives and the winterizers go to the cellar, you can very well reduce consumption to 20 kWh. This would therefore mean a maximum range of less than 500 km on a single charge of electricity.
The European-spec Zeekru 001 also offers pleasantly fast charging (400-volt architecture) at a rate of 200 kW direct current (DC) and a 22 kW on-board charger. However, I drove an almost identical variant intended for another market, which you may have recognized from the photos, so I charged more slowly and exclusively with alternating current via a reduction.
Photo: Jiří Cermák
There is an AC connector on the front, a fast charger on the back.
By the way, the car also has the ability to function as an energy storage (V2L), so you can also power your home via the AC port through the corresponding wallbox.
Given the parameters, equipment, battery capacity and overall structure of the Zeekr 001, such electric mobility really makes sense, since various compromises between range and comfort are eliminated here. As I could realistically imagine my automotive life with a rejuvenated Tesla Model 3, the “ziky 001” and thus the basic KIA EV9 are the same in pale blue. And you still don’t know how much Zeekr is worth.
The Chinese invasion has begun
We’re nearing the end of the article, so it’s time to wrap up. Before some of you get criticized in the comments for promoting China and how much money I received from the import/car company, I would like to remind you that the car was lent to me privately by the co-owner of Svoboda Karavanů ( svobodacaravans.cz), who sells off-road camper trailers. And as for the compensation, for the paid top-up there is about minus 3,000 CZK.
Photo: Jiří Cermák
The electrically operated trunk has a volume of 539 liters.
The Zeekr 001 is a total revelation these days, albeit heavily inspired by the pioneering Tesla. Thanks to comfort, performance worthy of a luxury limousine, intelligent software functions, large traction battery, super-fast charging and relatively decent consumption, such a car does not have many direct competitors. Unless it’s the Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo, the Nio ET5 Shooting Brake or the Volkswagen ID.7, but…
In addition to the fact that Zeekr 001 is a solid success and realistically shows where the young brand founded in 2021 can go thanks to the support of the parent company Geely (owner of Volvo, Lotus, Lynk & Co, Smart and shareholder of almost 10%) of Mercedes and others), we are dealing here with an important aspect called price.
Photo: Jiří Cermák
Thanks to the ratio of performance and equipment, Zeekr can pocket almost everyone, and not only in its segment. Above all, European brands should start taking the situation seriously and perhaps reconsider their pricing policy for expensive electric cars. Chinese competition is not knocking on the door, Chinese competition has already entered, it is there and it is really strong.
The basic rear-wheel drive Zeekr 001 model with an output of 200 kW and a range of up to 620 km costs in the Netherlands (and similarly in Sweden) including delivery 60,490 euros including tax (19%), or approximately 1,471,596 CZK . A four-wheeler with an output of 400 kW on 21-inch wheels with a range of up to 590 km will cost 63,490 euros including VAT, or approximately 1,544,580 CZK. And the top version of the 400 kW four-wheeler on 22-inch wheels and air suspension with a range of 580 km on a single charge therefore costs 68,490 euros (1,666,220 CZK) including taxes. Furthermore, cars can also be registered in the Czech Republic and not even Tesla, let alone others, can afford this money. This is no longer a price war, it’s a Chinese invasion of Europe.
Technical data Zeekr 001 AWD (EU specification) Engine 2× electric motor Power 400 kW (544 HP) Torque 686 Nm Single ratio planetary gearbox Drive on all four wheels Curb weight 2,350 kg Acceleration 0-100 km/h 3, 8 s Maximum speed 200 km/h Range 580 km Battery capacity 100 kWh (95 kWh usage) AC charging 22 kW, DC 200 kW Wheels and tires 265/40 R22 Wheels and tires (winter spec. test) 255/45 R21 Dimensions (length/width/height) 4,955/1,999/1,548 mm Wheelbase 2,999 mm Luggage compartment volume 539 l Minimum ground clearance 162 mm Towing capacity (braked trailer) 2,000 kg
2024-01-02 04:03:34
#Testing #Chinese #electric #car #Zeekr
