Zeekr 001 2022 review

Good looks, high equipment levels and performance to match make this Chinese car one to watch for Europe After owning Volvo for a decade and making numerous global investments in the automotive market, Chinese firm Geely should by now need no introductions.Zeekr, however does. It's Geely's new all-electric brand, spun out from Lynk&Co, a nascent maker itself. Unsurprisingly, given the name, the 001 is Zeekr's first model.It rides on Geely’s brand new Sustainable Electric Architecture (SEA) platform, which will also underpin the forthcoming Smart electric SUV and future Polestar models.Billed as the world’s first electric shooting brake, the 001 aims to cash in on the growth in demand for performance EVs. And there's certainly performance here: in the range-topping AWD model, 536bhp is generated by two electric motors – one per axle – and a 0-62mph time of 3.8sec makes it a match for the new BMW i4 M50. The 001 also uses air suspension that can set the ground clearance between 117mm and 205mm and two batteries are offered, with 86kWh and 100kWh.It's the latter pack that we have here, which is claimed to give 377 miles (NEDC) of range in the AWD model but up to 443 miles in the RWD one.Charging rates can be as high as 360kW, says Zeekr.