Zeekr 009 to offer 1000km-plus EV range

The upcoming all-new 2023 Zeekr 009 luxury crossover is set to have a driving range of more than 1000km, thanks to a new supply deal parent company Geely has forged with battery giant CATL.

According to reports, Zeekr will be the first auto brand in the world to offer CATL’s third-generation Cell-to-Pack (CTP) Qilin batteries that are claimed to have 13 per cent higher power density than equivalent cells from Tesla.

The 2023 Zeekr 009 goes on sale in China in the first quarter of next year and will reportedly offer the Qilin battery packs from launch.

Built on the Geely’s Sustainable Experience Architecture (SEA), the radical Zeekr 009 has been created to cash in on fresh demand in China for people-movers, although the 009 looks more like a bold crossover than a traditional MPV.

Once introduced, CATL’s Qilin batteries will be offered in a long-range version of the Zeekr 001 that carsales has already driven – and which is tipped to eventually find its way Down Under as part of the Geely brand’s rapid global expansion.

As part of the five-year deal, Zeekr will have access to CATL’s latest battery technology that could gift the Chinese brand the advantage to overtake Tesla in many key markets.

As well as offering more than 1000km between top-ups, the CATL’s next-gen CTP cells are capable of ultra-fast charging, with a 10-80 per cent ‘refill’ claimed to take just 10 minutes.

The same advanced battery tech is expected to migrate to other Geely brands, with the likes of Volvo, Lotus, Polestar and Lynk & Co the likely beneficiaries.

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