On September 20, the Zeekr 7X was officially launched in Shanghai.
This is Zeekr's second SUV model, yet it is the first to make a formal entry into the fiercely competitive mainstream market for family-oriented, pure electric SUVs, going head-to-head with the Tesla Model Y.
"The earlier products from Zeekr have performed well in relatively niche markets. However, entering the most competitive and largest segment indeed poses significant challenges,"
admitted An Conghui, CEO of Zeekr Intelligent Technology, during a media interview on the night of the launch.
An Conghui, CEO of Zeekr Intelligent Technology
Given the scale of the challenge, An revealed that pricing the Zeekr 7X was the most difficult experience he's encountered in his 30 years in the automotive industry, having dealt with hundreds of vehicle pricing scenarios.
Ultimately, this new entrant in the "red ocean" offers three versions priced at 229,900, 249,900, and 269,900 yuan, which is 20,000 yuan lower than the starting price of the Tesla Model Y.
Of course, Zeekr fully understands that the market is not short of followers priced even more affordably than the Tesla Model Y.
"In the era of pure electric SUVs, simply following trends and creating a vehicle that's just a better version of the Model Y isn't a challenge. Chinese auto manufacturers have the engineering capability and cost advantage to do that, but it’s not the direction for Zeekr." An Conghui, who enjoys the book 'Only the Paranoid Survive,' stated that when deciding to develop the Zeekr 7X, the company upgraded its product development philosophy in the face of the 'red ocean' market: “We do not follow the existing market inertia or pursue innovations that are disconnected from user needs; we aim to be obsessively committed to extreme safety!”
With this development philosophy, Zeekr chose not to follow the sloping roof design pioneered by Tesla, opting instead for a classic SUV shape that optimizes both space and range. The Zeekr 7X includes sunshades, slightly larger second-row space, a higher ground clearance, and a more rectangular trunk.
In addition, during crash tests, the Zeekr 7X's dome structure withstood a side impact from an 8-ton truck traveling at 50 kilometers per hour.
To address extreme situations like urban flooding, Zeekr developed the world’s first "one-button window breaking" feature, which is standard across all versions of the Zeekr 7X. In an emergency, users can activate a device located at the top of the storage compartment under the driver’s door to enable quick window escape within milliseconds; they can also escape rapidly through a fully mechanical method when the vehicle loses power in water.
"Everything ultimately circles back to the user's pain points. Zeekr aims to innovate based on precise understanding of user demands to win market and consumer recognition," An Conghui detailed.
It is reported that the Zeekr 7X features second-generation Brilliance batteries, offering a range exceeding 600 kilometers, with a maximum charging rate of 5.5C, allowing the battery to charge from 10% to 80% in just 10.5 minutes. Additionally, the version equipped with a 100 kWh ultra-fast charging Kirin battery can achieve a maximum range of 780 kilometers, gaining up to 546 kilometers of range with just 15 minutes of charging.
"The goal of the Zeekr 7X is to become the benchmark in the pure electric SUV segment, excelling in technology, safety, sales, and financial performance," An Conghui stated.
Today, Zeekr is evidently on the path to realizing this dream. Reports indicate that from pre-sales to official launch, orders for the Zeekr 7X surpassed 58,000 within just 20 days. In August of this year, Zeekr's average transaction price per vehicle reached 307,000 yuan.
