Beijing, 14 August 2024 (TDI): Chinese car maker Zeekr has said its new electric vehicle (EV) batteries charge faster than any of its rivals, including industry leader Tesla.
The company said its upgraded batteries can be charged from 10 percent to 80 percent capacity in ten and a half minutes using its ultra-fast charging stations.
In comparison, Elon Musk’s Tesla says a fifteen minute charge allows its Model 3 to cover 175 miles, a little under half the vehicle’s full range.
Zeekr’s 2025 007 sedan, which will be available from upcoming week, will be its first car to have the new battery.
The charging technology of Tesla is not industry leading anymore and has not been for some time, said Tu Le, founder and managing director of consultancy firm Sino Auto Insights.
These bold claims by the firm are believable, but more importantly even if it is not the fastest charging EV battery, being one for the fastest is still quite a leap for them.
The company said the battery performs well even in cold weather, charging from 10 percent to 80 percent of its capacity in less than half an hour at temperatures as low as -10C.
Zeekr is owned by Chinese car-manufacturing giant Geely, which also owns UK-based luxury sports car brand Lotus and Sweden’s Volvo.
In May, Zeekr’s shares began trading on the New York Stock Exchange, marking the first major US market debut by a Chinese firm since 2021.
The listing came just days before the Joe Biden administration announced major tariff increases on Chinese-made electric vehicles, solar panels, steel and other goods.
The White House said the measures, which included a 100 percent border tax on EVs from China, were a response to unfair policies and intended to protect US jobs.
Officials in the US, the EU, and other major car markets have grown increasingly concerned about the rapid overseas expansion of Chinese EV firms.
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