by Zeekr confidently claims competition with German premium brands
The Chinese brand Zeekr, which is the premium division of the Geely Group, has entered the European market with four electric vehicles. The head of the company’s European division claims that their cars are not inferior to German premium competitors. Zeekr plans to open showrooms in five German urban agglomerations by the end of the year.
Zeekr, the premium division of Geely Group, sincerely believes that its cars are on par with the best examples of German premium brands. The head of Zeekr in Europe made this statement in a recent interview, although the company’s European operations have only been running for about six months.
This executive is Lothar Schupet, who worked for 23 years at BMW before moving to Zeekr. Under his leadership, the company has brought several models to European roads: the entry-level Zeekr X, the larger SUV 7X, the 001 wagon, and the new 7GT. The brand is currently targeting corporate customers rather than private ones, mainly due to the lack of a dealer network in the region.
“I firmly believe that our products impress with quality and performance,” Schupet told Car-Editors publication. “In my opinion, we are on the same level as all premium manufacturers. That is the basic premise.”
Based on our experience with the Zeekr 7X earlier this year, we can understand Schupet’s confidence. Packed with technology, the 7X feels as premium as cars from BMW or Audi, but costs significantly less.
Dealerships are already on the way
During the same interview, Schupet added that Zeekr’s initial goal in Europe was to reach as many corporate clients as possible, especially those who previously used cars from other premium brands in their fleets. As this happened, interest from private buyers steadily grew. Although Zeekr does not have a dealer network, it has set up several test-drive centers and started receiving “several hundred” orders from private customers.
Zeekr hopes to have sales points in five German urban agglomerations by the end of this year, including Hamburg, Düsseldorf/Cologne, Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Munich, and possibly Berlin. These will join the 10 existing test-drive centers across the country.
When asked which existing dealers Zeekr hopes to attract to its network, Schupet replied that they are targeting the premium segment directly.
“Of course, we are deliberately targeting dealers in the premium segment. This includes traditional German brands BMW, Audi, and Mercedes. As well as Jaguar and Maserati dealerships, which may currently have free capacity and be open to something new. As a Geely Group brand, we naturally also consider Volvo and Polestar dealerships,” he said.
No European production, for now
When asked if Zeekr is interested in producing its electric vehicles in Europe, Schupet acknowledged that this is an option but said there is no need for it at this stage.
“Strategically, there is a possibility of local production,” he said. “It has certain advantages, but also carries risks. The speed, flexibility, and agility with which everything is done in China are not easily implemented in Europe. Bureaucracy also hinders many decision-making processes. Although punitive tariffs make it difficult to implement a sustainable business model with production in China… we have found a business model that works.”
Thus, Zeekr is betting on rapid expansion in Europe, leveraging the experience of its executive, who knows the German market well. The company is trying to find a balance between aggressive growth and adaptation to local conditions, avoiding expensive local production for now. This allows it to maintain competitive prices but also makes it vulnerable to trade barriers. Zeekr’s success in Europe will depend on how quickly it can build a dealer network and convince European buyers that Chinese premium is not just empty words.
