"The 0-100 km/h acceleration test result is just 2.96 seconds. This is the world's fastest hybrid sport utility vehicle (SUV)." "Hen ku (very cool)!"
On the 17th of this month, after a 30-minute drive from the airport, I arrived at the International Conference Center in Yinzhou District, Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, China. The venue, which embraces Ningbo's largest natural attraction "Dongqian Lake" in the middle of the building, is normally tranquil. But that day was different. Under the sunset, dazzling lights illuminated the lake and more than a dozen luxury SUVs, as large crowds gathered to take photos.
The event, reminiscent of an ultra-luxurious pool party, was the launch presentation for the "8X" from Zeekr, an electric vehicle brand under Geely Auto Group. Geely Auto Group overtook Tesla last year to become the second-largest seller in China. At the 90-minute event, which invited about 1,200 people including Chinese and international media, influencers, and global business partners, cheers and applause erupted more than 20 times as Zeekr presented its new technologies.
Zeekr defined the 8X unveiled that day as a "luxury flagship" and identified German cars as its competitors. The company said it is the first mass-produced car in the world to feature a three-motor megawatt-class electric powertrain, and compared the 0-100 km/h acceleration with equivalent models from BMW and Porsche. Test results showed the Zeekr 8X recorded 2.96 seconds, while the BMW X5 M posted 3.92 seconds and the Porsche Cayenne 6.12 seconds. Total output is 1,030 kW, or about 1,400 horsepower, which the company said is more powerful than Lamborghini's V8 engine.
Battery performance was also showcased. Based on a 900V high-voltage platform and ultra-fast charging technology, the company emphasized that the battery can be charged from 20% to 80% in just 9 minutes, even in extreme cold of minus 30 degrees Celsius. Considering long-distance driving, Zeekr also highlighted that the vehicle is separately equipped with a charger with a maximum output of 145 kW inside.
On the software side, the company expressed confidence that it has already surpassed German cars. It applied the latest advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) "Qianli Haohan 4.0," and when the premium model is selected, it enables near Level 3 (L3) performance — the higher tier among the four stages of autonomous driving — based on five lidar chips and computing power of 1,400 TOPS. In an actual demonstration, the vehicle found the exit from an unfamiliar large parking lot faster than a human. A feature that summoned the vehicle from a tight parking spot with just a hand gesture also drew cheers from the audience.
On top of this, the 8X, which has the in-vehicle artificial intelligence (AI) agent "Super EVA" as its brain, can make decisions without human intervention, according to a Zeekr official. If sudden traffic control occurs, it changes the route on its own, and it even remembers the user's wedding anniversary and recommends stores where they can buy a surprise gift. Gan Jiayue, CEO of Geely Auto Group, said, "Existing luxury brands cannot achieve this level of smart integration," adding, "We will bring loyal customers of other existing brands to our new energy luxury cars."
Zeekr plans to launch the 8X in overseas markets starting in the second half of this year. The fact that the event was held not in Hangzhou, where the headquarters is located, but in Ningbo — an R&D and production base and an export frontline base — is interpreted as being intended to emphasize this. CEO Gan explained, "The 9X unveiled last year was developed from the beginning targeting the global market, and we are also accelerating global development for the 8X."
Zeekr is the only brand among Chinese automakers that has entered all five continents with a luxury strategy at the forefront, and it will make its official entry into the Korean market within this year. Lim Hyun-ki, former president of Audi Korea, has been appointed as the head of the Korean subsidiary. The first model to be launched has been set as the 7X, but the 8X is also cited as a strong follow-up model.
