Chinese electric carmaker Zeekr is preparing to launch its high-end electric vehicles in Japan next year, including a model that sells for more than $60,000 in China, said Chen Yu, vice president of the company.
Chen Yu said the company is working hard to comply with Japanese safety standards and hopes to open showrooms in the Tokyo and Osaka areas this year. The addition of ZEEKR will bring more choices to the Japanese auto market, which is slow to develop electric vehicles.
ZEEKR recently launched right-hand-drive versions of its X sport utility vehicle and 009 utility vehicle. Currently, the company has expanded to right-hand drive markets including Hong Kong, Thailand and Singapore.
In the Japanese market, which also uses right-hand drive vehicles, ZEEKR is also expected to launch its X sports utility vehicle and 009 utility vehicle. In China, the ZEEKRX sport utility vehicle starts at RMB 200,000 (approximately US$27,900), while the ZEEKR009 utility vehicle starts at RMB 439,000 (approximately US$61,000).
While some other major brands sell electric vehicles at much lower prices, JIKE has gained a following as a luxury brand that emphasizes design, performance and safety. ZEEKR'S expanding model lineup is fueling its rapid growth. From January to July this year, ZEEKR'S sales surged by approximately 90% year-on-year to approximately 100,000 vehicles.
ZEEKR began to expand overseas last year, first targeting the European market. Currently, ZEEKR has operations in about 30 countries and regions, and plans to expand to about 50 markets this year. In addition, ZEEKR plans to open a dealership in South Korea next year and plans to start sales in 2026.
In the Japanese market, ZEEKR is following in the footsteps of BYD. Last year, BYD entered the Japanese passenger car market and sold 1,446 vehicles in Japan. BYD sold 207 vehicles in Japan last month, not far behind the 317 sold by Tesla, but still less than the more than 2,000 Sakura electric minicars sold by Nissan.
Although electric vehicles currently account for only 2% of new passenger car sales in Japan, the choices for potential EV buyers continue to expand. In April this year, home appliance retailer Yamada Holdings began selling Hyundai Motor electric cars that come with homes.
Data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers shows that electric vehicles are gradually gaining market share in China, accounting for more than 20% of all new cars sold last year, including commercial vehicles and export vehicles. But competition in the EV market is intensifying, and China's big automakers are looking to develop overseas, especially in Southeast Asia and Europe. Last year, BYD's global sales were 3.02 million vehicles, while ZEEKR's was 120,000 vehicles.
Post time: Aug-14-2024