Geely responds to BYD with the upgraded Zeekr 001, which charges in 8 minutes

The Zeekr 001 will soon receive an update. Geely Auto’s premium brand does not plan to fall behind Denza (BYD), which recently introduced its Flash Charging 2.0 ultra-fast charging system in its lineup. This advancement allows models like the Denza Z9GT (a direct rival to the Zeekr 001) to go from 10% to 70% charge in 5 minutes and from 10% to 97% in 9 minutes.

Electric vehicle technology is advancing rapidly: in 2024, the Zeekr 001 became the electric sedan with the fastest charging speed in the market, achieving a 5C charging rate; however, just a couple of years later, this figure has already been surpassed by many competitors. For this reason, some Chinese media reports suggest that the upgraded 001 will incorporate Geely’s new charging technology.

After its latest update, the shooting brake now boasts highly competitive charging times: its version with a proprietary LFP (lithium-iron-phosphate) battery takes 7 minutes to charge from 10% to 80%, while the variant equipped with a CATL NCM (nickel, cobalt, manganese) battery reaches the same percentage in 10 minutes. This is made possible by its 900-volt architecture.

It appears Zeekr will go even further, as Geely’s new charging technology allows the battery to charge from 10% to 70% in 4 minutes and 30 seconds, and from 10% to 97% in 8 minutes and 40 seconds, thus improving upon the times claimed by BYD. The battery will still be an in-house LFP type (the famous Golden Brick).

The updated Zeekr 001 will launch in early 2027

So far, there isn’t much additional information about the updated Zeekr 001 beyond the specifications leaked through China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. The vehicle’s length will range from 4,977 to 5,029 mm, width from 1,999 mm, and height from 1,545 to 1,533 mm, depending on whether it features air suspension. The wheelbase is 3,005 mm, and the curb weight is between 2,350 and 2,420 kg.

It is equipped with an electric motor producing 503 HP (370 kW) of power, enabling it to reach a top speed of 240 or 280 km/h, depending on the version. Launch in China is scheduled for the first quarter of 2027, but it is still unclear when it will arrive in Europe, where Zeekr takes longer to bring its latest models to market.

The new charging system is expected to be expanded to other Zeekr and Lynk & Co. models in the future. It is not clear whether it will also be available for Geely’s main brand; however, since BYD is integrating Flash Charging 2.0 even in budget-friendly models like the Seagull, it would not be surprising if Geely follows suit.

Source | CarNewsChina