14 hours Ago By William Stopford
Zeekr is launching here as an electric-only brand, but it has confirmed hybrids are in its future despite strong electric vehicle (EV) demand in China. While the Geely-owned brand was founded in 2021 as an electric-only brand, it recently took a controlling stake in fellow Geely brand Lynk & Co which specialises in hybrids. To complicate matters, Lynk & Co – which had previously offered only petrol and hybrid models – recently revealed its first two EVs in the Z10 and Z20.
The latter has been confirmed for a European launch, where it’ll be badged as the 02. Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today 100s of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal.
Browse now . Zeekr’s first model, the 001, was previewed by a Lynk & Co concept called the Zero. Geely then decided to spin off the Zeekr brand, which specialises in more premium vehicles than the more mainstream Lynk & Co brand.
Car News China reports word from Zeekr CEO An Conghui that the brand is developing hybrid technology for use in large SUVs and MPVs, with the brand’s first hybrid models to be revealed at next April’s Shanghai motor show ahead of a market launch in the second half of 2025. In 2023, Mr Conghui had reportedly said Zeekr wouldn’t launch hybrids, while in July 2024 he indicated the brand was considering vehicles with a petrol engine before confirming in August 2024 the hybrid technology was in the works. This will reportedly see hybrid Zeekrs drive in electric-only mode at lower speeds, with the engine engaged to drive the vehicle at highway speeds – more like a traditional hybrid, then, instead of a range-extender electric vehicle (EREV) which are becoming increasingly common in China where the petrol engine doesn’t directly power the wheels.
Car News China also reports the 001 fastback has been spied testing with a hybrid powertrain, with the prototype understood to preview a production 001 hybrid model. Zeekr already offers a large electric MPV (the 009 , for which Australian pre-orders have opened) and is launching a large electric SUV, the 7X , next year. The brand has also revealed a small electric SUV ( the X , the brand’s debut model here), a smaller people mover (the Mix ) and a large sedan (the 007).
Lynk & Co has an even wider lineup, consisting of 10 vehicles. These range from the small 06 crossover up to the large 09 SUV, which shares its platform with the Volvo XC90 and offers available plug-in hybrid power. Zeekr isn’t the only Geely brand changing its electrification strategy.
Lotus, another brand under the Geely umbrella, confirmed this week it wouldn’t go EV-only by 2028 as it had previously promised, instead announcing it’ll launch EREVs. Earlier this year, Geely-owned Volvo also confirmed it won’t go EV-only by 2030 . Instead, it’s targeting 90 to 100 per cent electrified vehicle sales by 2030, but is including plug-in hybrids within that goal.
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