Chinese EV maker Zeekr hires former Huawei executive as head of marketing
Chinese EV maker Zeekr aims to achieve $18 billion market valuation before an IPO in the US. Credit: Zeekr

On December 14, China’s Zeekr will unveil the first battery pack custom-designed by the electric vehicle maker in a ceremony emphasizing its scale, vertical integration, and expertise. The event will take place at a production base in the eastern Chinese city of Quzhou. While Zeekr provided no further details on the Twitter-like platform Weibo, sources suggest that these batteries will initially be integrated into Zeekr’s first premium sedan, the 007, priced from RMB 224,900 ($31,059) and set for delivery next month, as reported by local media outlet Jiemian on Thursday. Geely’s subsidiary has formed an alliance with CATL, and its 009 multi-purpose vehicle becomes the first model powered by the battery giant’s Qilin battery, offering a driving range of 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) on a single charge. Notably, rival NIO has been developing its own batteries since last year, planning to introduce them with the first model of its upcoming mainstream sub-brand, Alps, in 2024. [Zeekr announcement, Jiemian, in Chinese]