ZEEKR occupies the high-end car battlefield

Author | Chai Xuchen

Editor | Wang Xiaojun

When a Chinese brand car priced at 500,000 yuan receives over 10,000 pre-orders within 13 minutes of its launch and reaches 40,000 orders in just one hour, we see not only the birth of a "hot product" but also the breaking of an old market pattern, heralding the arrival of a new era.

On the evening of September 29, the ZEEKR 9X, dubbed the "Cullinan of Hangzhou Bay," was officially launched, and its popularity exceeded internal expectations. Lin Jie, Senior Vice President of Geely Automobile Group, admitted in an interview that while they anticipated high demand for the 9X, they now see that production capacity was prepared conservatively.

It is worth noting that the 42,667 orders within the first hour of the 9X's pre-sale are equivalent to 70% of the sales of the Mercedes EQ series in China last year and double the sales of the BMW iX series in the same period; as a reference, the monthly sales of the domestic 500,000 yuan "challenger" Aito M9 remain stable at 10,000 to 16,000 units.

It can be said that there is a new challenger in the domestic 500,000 yuan+ segment.

Industry insiders believe that the 9X takes a different approach compared to flagship SUVs like the Aito M9, Li Auto L9, and Nio ES8. Aito focuses on intelligence, Li Auto is deeply integrated with family scenarios, and Nio impresses users with a combination of family vehicles, quality service, and battery swapping models. The core selling point of the ZEEKR 9X, however, is its extreme luxury feel.

To compete with the "9 series SUV" sales champion in the market, Geely has equipped the ZEEKR 9X with nearly all the technology and configurations it can offer—Geely's top-tier Qianli Haohuan H9 intelligent driving solution, multiple laser radars, five screens inside the car, dual Thor-U chips, 6C ultra-fast charging, closed dual-chamber air springs, and dual-valve CCD shock absorbers, among others; it also incorporates numerous luxury details: a yacht-style flybridge roof, an electric opening and closing system for the doors, and 22-inch mirror-finished forged wheels, attempting to compete with Rolls-Royce.

From the product strength and the pricing of 455,900 to 589,900 yuan, it is evident that the ZEEKR 9X indeed bears the upward responsibility for the brand and the entire Geely Group, aiming to capture market share in the segmented market with a product that leaves no regrets. Behind this is ZEEKR's urgency to consolidate its market position.

Looking back, Lynk & Co is expanding, while ZEEKR is moving upward. This was the development plan set by Geely Group for each brand at the beginning of their strategic integration. Now, Lynk & Co's path seems to be smoother. However, ZEEKR faces the dilemma of having more models without significant sales growth, getting bogged down in the "battlefield" of the 200,000 to 300,000 yuan pure electric segment.

Therefore, the 9X's upward expansion into a new battlefield has become a key breakthrough opportunity for the ZEEKR brand, determined to reclaim pricing power above 450,000 yuan. Clearly, the 9X's leap has initially succeeded.

According to Lin Jie’s observations, the user profile of the ZEEKR 9X presents a clear structure, primarily attracting three types of consumers. First are seasoned users of luxury brands who have owned traditional luxury cars but crave more cutting-edge and disruptive product experiences Secondly, there are loyal fans of the ZEEKR brand, with nearly 20% of existing ZEEKR 001 and 009 owners opting for additional purchases or replacements, reflecting a high level of brand loyalty. Lastly, there are technology enthusiasts and users upgrading from fuel vehicles, including BBA owners, who are attracted by the intelligent and high-performance new energy experience represented by the 9X.

Industry insiders believe that if the 9X can establish a foothold in the 500,000 yuan market alongside the 009 and subsequent facelift models, it will undoubtedly enhance ZEEKR's brand image. Future 8 series models, existing 7 series models, and the replacement of the 001 can also take advantage of this momentum to complete a top-down update and regain competitive initiative.

However, competition in the market above 400,000 yuan is far more intense than expected. Apart from Aito M9, the only real competitors among new forces are Li Auto L9 and MEGA, but the combined monthly sales of these two models are only around 7,000 units. How ZEEKR can seize this hard-won breakthrough, maintain its popularity, and convert orders into actual sales remains to be seen.

The following is a transcript of the dialogue with Geely Automobile Group CEO Gan Jiayue, Geely Automobile Group Senior Vice President and ZEEKR Technology Vice President Lin Jie, ZEEKR Technology Vice President Xu Yun, and Geely Holding Group Chief Intelligent Driving Scientist and ZEEKR Technology Vice President Chen Qi:

Q: What is the reason behind the pricing of the 9X and its strong sales?

Gan Jiayue: Thirteen minutes after the press conference ended, the pre-orders had already exceeded 10,000. As long as we focus on making the product well, customers will respond positively. Geely is like a clumsy child; we still need to persist in the marathon spirit of innovation.

The 9X is a strategic ultra-luxury product created by ZEEKR, gathering the top resources from the entire group. ZEEKR's positioning is to drive a technologically luxurious brand with extreme technology; we must achieve excellence in technology.

A few years ago, Geely pioneered the three 800V concepts in the industry: an 800V high-voltage platform, an 800V large-capacity battery, and an 800V ultra-fast charging network. Additionally, the distributed electric drive with four motors and the first integrated die-casting intelligent production line were also pioneered by ZEEKR.

ZEEKR's mission is to set no limits on technology and no budget limits on R&D. As long as we have good products, we will invest boldly to support the brand's upward trajectory. I believe that with the best technology, the product pricing can definitely support this price point.

The upward path of Chinese automobiles must be broken through by technology. I believe ZEEKR can represent the Chinese automotive industry on the global stage and embark on a global journey of brand elevation.

Q: How can the ZEEKR 9X better help ZEEKR achieve the transition from technological leadership to identity recognition?

Lin Jie: The user group of the ZEEKR 9X consists of three major demographics: The first group is seasoned users of luxury brand products. After the 9X began arriving at stores, many luxury brand vehicles were parked outside stores across the country. Luxury brands are also at the replacement cycle, and luxury brand users have always pursued performance and configuration. Therefore, this car provides a new experience for luxury car users.

The second group is that a significant proportion of ZEEKR users are included in the 9X orders. From the pre-sale orders, the number of ZEEKR 009 and 001 users replacing with the 9X shows that the proportion of 001 users in the entire replacement is nearly 20% The third category includes a significant upgrade ratio for fuel vehicle users of products like BBA. There are also some young people who are enthusiastic about new technologies. These users, who have demands for new energy experiences and pursue product quality, are also part of the 9X purchasing group.

People say that 9X users are old money and new nobility. Overall, they are still industry elites, including many entrepreneurs and business leaders. Just yesterday, a high-profile individual visited our store, and we were all taken aback.

Last year, the global usage of luxury cars was around 10,000, so our capacity preparation was slightly conservative. We estimated a large demand, but the current situation shows an extraordinary demand. We are ramping up production capacity, but for the initial technology, we must prioritize quality. The delivery of the Hyper version is expected in late November, as it also includes the advanced driving assistance system for the Qianli Haohan H9, which has different hardware. The entire announcement for the declaration will not be officially delivered until late November.

Other versions of production and delivery are basically manageable, but based on the speed of orders tonight, it’s hard to say. We are discussing together and have prepared corresponding plans for users. If deliveries are made next year, the losses caused by the withdrawal of the purchase tax will be covered by ZEEKR.

Q: Why can Geely Group concentrate its efforts in 2025, and what is the driving force behind it?

Gan Jiayue: It is relatively easy to leverage the entire group’s strength to create a blockbuster, but to turn every product into a blockbuster relies on systemic capability. This systemic capability must start from the fundamentals of the enterprise, including organizational structure, cultural foundation, product definition, and the logic of doing things, all of which need some changes.

Selling cars requires authenticity; product quality must be good, and technology must be strong. Secondly, product quality involves reliability and durability; the quality of every component must be controlled. We can be very strict in terms of quality.

Internally, we have a president's quality meeting where all heads of R&D, manufacturing, supply chain, and SQE must participate. If something is not done well, we can directly dismiss personnel in this meeting. From 2021 to now, we have been holding this meeting every month for over four years.

Secondly, we need to exceed user expectations in experience and identify customer needs, which is challenging within an organization. The underlying structure must connect the organizational framework. Therefore, I always say in meetings that Geely is one company, a big Geely company; there is no such thing as a sales company, R&D company, or procurement company. These divisions are merely due to the large workload categorized by professional functions. From R&D to sales, we need to fully integrate and form a liquid organization. The goal is to figure out how to do well as a liquid organization, where R&D and sales are unified.

R&D and sales integration is not enough; we also need to bring the supply chain into the entire system because we want to create competitive products. This competitiveness is determined by the market and customers. We can create high-value products through technology. At the same time, we also want customers to have a sense of additional gain. Therefore, the second point of doing a good job is to have professional capability The second point is to have professional capabilities, which means that every field must be well managed. In sales, it is essential to form a fluid organization that aligns customer needs with design and R&D. Once the organizational structure is streamlined, the goal becomes relatively simple: focus on the market and customer needs. Specifically, the three heavyweight products recently launched are the Lynk & Co 900, Galaxy M9, and ZEEKR 9X.

Why can these technologies support this? Many technologies are breakthroughs from 0 to 1, and Geely has invested a significant amount of R&D effort and funds into technology. The Haohan Super Electric Hybrid (SEP) system greatly enhances the performance of the entire product and vehicle, achieving a 0-100 km/h acceleration in just 3.1 seconds, a level that many electric vehicles cannot reach. Moreover, it has the unique feature of providing a similar experience whether in a discharged or fully charged state. How is this achieved? It utilizes a forward-looking 900V high-voltage architecture, which is the first of its kind in the hybrid vehicle sector of the automotive industry.

Thirdly, we also have a set of three-motor hybrid electric drive systems, with megawatt-level electric drive, achieving a horsepower of 1,400, equivalent to the power output of a 36-cylinder engine, matched with three 12-cylinder engines. Such technology and capability are not something ordinary companies can achieve. We need to support the brand with technology, first by clearly listing customer needs, then positioning the brand well, and ensuring our technology can support it, with a fundamental logic of whether it can be realized.

Through the collaboration of resources across the entire group, Geely has the capability to innovate step by step to develop excellent technologies. The Super Electric Hybrid is very important. We have rapidly developed a 900V hybrid-specific battery in conjunction with the rapid development of China's new energy technology.

In summary, first, to create a blockbuster product, it must be user-centered and market-centered. Second, the automaker's products must achieve technological breakthroughs and be very solid and reliable in quality. Only by establishing this system can such products meet customer needs and create value for them.

Q: As the product leader for ZEEKR 009 and ZEEKR 9X, how does Dayun view the breakthroughs of Chinese brands in the luxury car market?

Xu Yun: The purchasing power in the entire Chinese market and the support for products or Chinese independent brands is unprecedented, which is the biggest supporting foundation. Looking at the entire industry, the Haohan Super Electric Hybrid is definitely a globally leading technology. During my time with Boyue, our engine and transmission technology were bottlenecked, but today, our motor and battery technology are globally leading.

The recognition of Chinese brands is related to the overall economic environment. A decade ago, we lagged in key technologies, but in recent years, we have completely caught up and even surged to the forefront. Another important point is the advantage of intelligence; the level of automotive intelligence, including home appliance intelligence, is world-class.

From this perspective, as a fundamental key technology for automobiles, our R&D integration capability, the entire industry chain of suppliers and production teams, combined with the high level of intelligence across various industries in China, gives me confidence that Chinese luxury brands can be successfully created Q: Why has ZEEKR been able to achieve so many technological breakthroughs? Is there a story behind it that you can share?

Lin Jie: First of all, it is related to the brand philosophy, "No extreme, no ZEEKR." ZEEKR has always pursued the ultimate in technology.

Gan Jiayue: We lay the foundation and practice our internal skills, doing things that others cannot see, and we must invest in the foundation. A tall building rises from the ground; we only see the height of the building, but we must see its foundation. The reason why a building can be built high is that the foundation must be solid. Geely is actually doing many things that others cannot see; we are doing things that others cannot see. This includes our AI capabilities, which we started to lay out in 2021 and began large-scale investment in 2022, launching new intelligent computing centers. Others may not understand why Geely, as a car company, invests so much in computing power. Future enterprises must derive benefits from efficiency. I believe the essence of AI is to enhance efficiency in all aspects, which is very important.

How can this efficiency be improved? Many people think that AI is just about improving assisted driving and smart cockpits, but it is not entirely so. AI must support every aspect from the product development stage, enhancing the speed of product research and development, ensuring the reliability of R&D quality, and enriching the methods of verification. AI can provide strong support in all these areas.

In the past, this problem might have been solved through hardware; now it can be solved through software. From a first principles perspective, its raw materials can save a lot.

Q: After returning to Geely, what is the group's positioning and development plan for ZEEKR, and what challenges will ZEEKR face?

Gan Jiayue: After the return, we can do a lot of collaboration from the foundation and underlying capabilities. For example, we have many technical synergies in assisted driving. ZEEKR's good technology can even empower Lynk & Co, Galaxy, and even China Star in the future, allowing the entire Geely to have a good breakthrough in its upward development.

We cannot manage ZEEKR's technological breakthroughs with a budget management mechanism; instead, we should manage it through value creation and value breakthroughs. Technology must go from 0 to 1 and must have a fault tolerance mechanism. Many enterprises simply copy something over; for example, the design must adhere to originality and innovation. Our design costs are basically in the hundreds of millions, with some reaching two or three hundred million. This kind of investment is solidly put into the product.

After returning to Geely, ZEEKR's future positioning must still be upward. The group will gather all its strength and invest more resources to break through key points. ZEEKR's technology will be the technology on Geely's pyramid in the future.

Q: How does the ZEEKR 9X appeal to high-net-worth individuals, and what are the differences in user operation strategies between Lynk & Co and ZEEKR?

Lin Jie: The platform is very important; not only the human platform but also the vehicle platform is crucial. Therefore, I believe that a significant part of the success of the ZEEKR 9X lies in its product strength. The ZEEKR 9X breaks boundaries, and this breaking of boundaries is primarily based on its super strong product strength, including design.

A brand is inseparable from its users; what kind of brand will have what kind of users. I think ZEEKR is very fortunate to have a group of users who support us. I have always said that in user operation, the biggest taboo is to be overly eager for quick success, treating user operation as marketing. I believe this should not be done Honest communication has had a very good effect. One reason is that users feel we informed them in advance, without backstabbing old users, which is very sincere. Relevant rights and interests were announced in advance, and we also told everyone roughly when new models would be launched. Not only did orders not decline, but they actually grew year-on-year. For two consecutive months, the sales of ZEEKR 001 have increased year-on-year. I believe that returning to Geely has also given us confidence as an organization to focus on the long term; user reputation is more important than short-term sales.

In fact, this goodwill has led to even better results. A few days ago, after we announced the reasons why the ZEEKR 001 with a 95-degree battery could not be ordered, we immediately launched the pre-sale of the refreshed ZEEKR 001, which was more than half a month faster than we expected, and the inventory has basically been digested. As of today, the nationwide inventory of ZEEKR 001, including sample cars, is down to about 50 vehicles.

I believe sincerity is very important, whether for luxury brands or mass-market brands.

Q: What will the cooperation model with Qianli Technology look like in the future, and how will Qianli Technology empower Geely in the future?

Gan Jiayue: Intelligent driving is the core point of future automobiles and a very important technological layout. Geely has invested a lot in intelligent driving, and we are breaking through in several directions. Geely had many teams at that time, including Geely's intelligent driving team, ZEEKR's intelligent driving team, Lotus's intelligent driving team, Yikatong's intelligent driving team, and Furui Tech's intelligent driving team.

Having so many teams working on the same thing has its advantages and disadvantages; the disadvantages are now the most obvious. Its advantage is that during the 0 to 1 phase, everyone can break through. There were many previous technical routes, including pure vision technical routes and high-precision map technical routes; now it is the large model technical route.

When the technical route is not very clear, innovation is often a process that must exist. Without it, we cannot find such a good technical route solution. It's like horse racing; in the end, the horse that wins is the one that has been trained to lead all the others. This is Geely's early investment in intelligent driving.

On March 3rd of this year, Geely released the Qianli Haohan intelligent driving technology route plan. We have H1, H3, H5, H7, and H9, and all technical routes of the entire group will gradually return to a single technical route plan. During the selection process of this technical route plan, our foundational technology and capabilities are very clear.

Because in the early stages, all intelligent driving basically used scenario-based decision-making, with recognition + decision-making logic. This logic will definitely lead to many special scenarios in intelligent driving that cannot be handled in the future. If they cannot be handled, it will definitely lead to major accidents. Just like a normal distribution, the scenarios on both sides cannot be exhausted.

In the future, intelligent driving will definitely be driven by AI to enhance intelligent driving capabilities. To enhance intelligent driving, AI capabilities must be present. High-precision maps and algorithmic pattern recognition + decision-making patterns determine the lower limit of intelligent driving, while AI capabilities determine the upper limit.

How to raise the upper limit in the future? The foundational capabilities of AI must be enhanced, which include large computing power, large models, and big data. In terms of large computing power, Geely has already laid out the entire Intelligent Computing Center 2.0 alliance, achieving 23.5 EFLOPS, ranking first among Chinese automotive companies From an algorithmic perspective, our entire large model team has been established since 2022, and today we have developed strong capabilities in large models.

Of course, I believe that traditional enterprises are still far from sufficient in developing large models. This is why Geely has formed a joint venture with Qianli Technology. The team led by Qianli Technology possesses leading AI technology in China, and I have been discussing with them how to empower the entire intelligent driving sector with AI capabilities. Their capabilities in large AI models are very strong, and everyone can try out their advancements. Since 2023, we have been researching large models and vertical models together, and both large models have been developed by our joint teams. We believe that the capabilities of these large models are improving very rapidly.

Geely itself, including the ZEEKR team and Geely's team, has now become one team, currently led by Chen Qi. Chen Qi has unified all intelligent driving efforts onto a single path. On this path, our engineering capabilities, toolchain technology, and mass production capabilities are ranked in the top tier of the entire industry, which I believe is a benchmark position.

With this foundational capability, combined with engineering capabilities and AI capabilities, we will demonstrate even better technological capabilities in the future, and the current product's content ratio is the highest in the industry. The AI large model is the highest, which is why Geely's intelligent driving is advancing so quickly.

Another point is that after combining these two technologies, I believe the future development still has a long way to go, and we have a lot of foundational work to do. This includes the world model of WM and how these world models integrate with the vehicle side. We have only made a start, and in the future, I hope to invest greater resources to make intelligent driving smarter, more human-like, and capable of handling many different scenarios, making it even better than experienced human drivers.

Qianli Technology has an intelligent driving company, with Qianli Technology holding 30%, Geely 30%, Maichi 30%, Lotus 5%, and the team 5%. Overall, does Geely not have control over intelligent driving? My thought is not that way, because currently, there are two types of cooperation in intelligent driving: the first is full-stack self-research, and the second is supplier black box solutions. I have always believed that neither of these two solutions is optimal for vehicle manufacturers.

Why? I believe intelligent driving is a future technology that needs continuous iteration, not like a certain hardware product that can just be developed and completed. It is like a smart child that needs to continuously improve and enrich its capabilities. Therefore, in this regard, we believe intelligent driving must have three characteristics:

The first characteristic is technological leadership. If the technology is not leading, the product will lack competitiveness in the future. To maintain the leading edge in intelligent driving technology, a significant amount of resources must be invested in algorithms, computing power, and models.

The second characteristic is proactivity. Without proactivity, it is impossible to grasp future advancements, as advancements may be in the hands of others. There must be both technological advancement and technological proactivity Finally, there must be economic viability for the product. What determines economic viability? One is the resources invested, and the other is determined by the scale of production. Without a scaled quantity, it definitely won't work. I believe that Geely will have several hundred thousand units as a foundation in the future, and at the same time, we can empower some companies in the industry that want to cooperate with good technology. Geely has always been open; we approach empowering the entire industry with an open mindset. As long as there is a need in the industry, our good technology can be used to empower, allowing us to establish scale and achieve our economic viability, forming a large model for the joint venture.

Of course, in this joint venture, Geely currently holds 30%. Under this model, Geely will also establish another joint venture company called Qianli Haohan Company, which will specifically serve Geely's products. Everything can maintain its advancement, proactivity, and economic viability. In the future, our good technology will feed back and empower Qianli Zhijia Company, which can then supply to manufacturers in the industry that have demand.

Regarding hybrid technology, why is the ZEEKR 9X being launched? I believe the power form of the ZEEKR 9X is super electric hybrid, which is different from general hybrid power. Whether it is the architecture of the 9X or its super electric hybrid SEP, these two things follow different logic. The 9X architecture is the Haohan-S architecture, which transitions from pure electric to hybrid.

Many companies' hybrids transition from oil to electric; we transition from pure electric to hybrid. Why can we achieve a battery capacity of 70 kWh? We don't need to worry about fast charging. This is what I have always emphasized: the most important thing in product development is to solve customer pain points and enhance customer satisfaction. I believe this not only addresses pain points but also increases everyone's satisfaction, allowing the entire product to develop well and meet customer demand.

Q: What is the progress of the delivery work after the merger of Geely and ZEEKR?

Gan Jiayue: After the two shareholder meetings on September 5 and September 15, the privatization proposal was passed with a high vote. After that, there will be some legal processes and procedures, and we will continue to advance according to the process. As for specific timelines, I believe the delivery work will be completed before the end of this year