Zeekr, a premium Chinese SUV brand, has launched a new EV which has some of the most innovative features yet seen in an electric car – including super fast charging, swivel seats, the removal of the traditional B pillars, and a new way of thinking about transport.
The new model, called the Mix, is derived from a Robotaxi vehicle the company has been working on for Google’s Waymo program, and hence the big leap in design concepts.
The Mix is a cross between an SUV and a people mover, with fast-charging technology that can charge the car from 10-80% in just 10.5 minutes. That’s faster than any car in Australia and is targeted towards families on the road.
It’s shorter than the Tesla Model Y, coming in at 4.69 metres, and yet it has a considerable amount of practical space on the inside. And it has a starting price equivalent to just under $A59,300 in its local market of China.
Getting into the Zeekr Mix is through an industry-first 1.48-metre wide entrance made possible with a dual sliding door and the removal of the traditional B-pillar.
This removal of the B-pillar can be perceived to compromise safety during side-impact tests but Zeekr insists it’s the opposite. It says the overall safety has been enhanced thanks to the hidden dual B-pillar design which is part of the sliding doors.
There are two ultra-high-strength steel pillars made from 2000 megapascal hot-formed steel and fortified with a unique manufacturing process before being integrated into doors. This process adds 30% more strength than the conventional hot-formed steel.
Featuring a cabin that allows you to face your passengers and turn it into an EV designed for families on the road and when they get to the destination. Thanks to the front row seat design, which can swivel 270 degrees.
Looking at the variants, the Zeekr Mix will be available in just two. Both will feature a rear-wheel drive powertrain with 310 kW of power and 440 Nm of torque. This helps get the Mix from 0–100 km/h in just 6.8 seconds.
That’s the base model with a 76 kWh Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) that can deliver up to 550 km of CLTC range. This is the same pack that’s been designed by Zeekr to fast charge at 10-80%.
Recent tests of this battery, which has been developed in-house by the company’s e-powertrain R&D team, have seen speeds of up to 472 kW at the company’s latest 800 kW fast chargers in China.
The second battery is the larger 102 kWh Nickel Manganese Cobalt (NMC) battery pack, offering a range of over 700 km on the CLTC cycle. This is likely to be closer to 500 km on the WLTP cycle.
Earlier this week, the first round of Zeekr Mix EVs rolled off the production line, and deliveries will start today.
Last week, the company launched the brand in Australia with the offer of test rides in Sydney of its Zeekr X SUV and a sneak peek into the upcoming luxury people mover that’s next to be coming to our market.
It would be interesting to see if the local arm has plans to bring the new Zeekr Mix in 2025 as we’re yet to see a vehicle as practically innovative as this one.
Riz is the founder of carloop based in Melbourne, specialising in Australian EV data, insight reports and trends. He is a mechanical engineer who spent the first 7 years of his career building transport infrastructure before starting carloop. He has a passion for cars, particularly EVs and wants to help reduce transport emissions in Australia. He currently drives a red Tesla Model 3.