I’m back. Over the past few months, I returned to my father’s hometown of Ganzhou to sightsee and visit relatives. I visited many local car dealerships both just before the Chinese Dragon Boat Festival and more recently, including BYD’s Dynasty, Ocean, and Denza models; Geely’s Geely Galaxy and Zeekr; and Leapmotor. This article aims to provide an evaluation of my test drive and tour of Geely’s Zeekr brand, while also interweaving my analysis of the competitive landscape for electric vehicles in the Chinese market—with a particular focus on comparisons with BYD. As a result, the article’s flow and topics may jump around quite a bit; I appreciate your understanding.
To be clear, I am a fan of BYD myself, and I currently drive a BYD Han L EV. However, based on my analysis and understanding of the Chinese automotive market, I would rank Geely Automobile second in terms of overall strength. Although Geely Automobile still lags significantly behind BYD—the market leader—in comprehensive electric vehicle technology, I would still say that no other company is currently capable of challenging Geely Automobile’s second-place position. Geely Group possesses advanced automotive technologies from Volvo and Lotus, and during the era of internal combustion engine vehicles, it firmly held the top spot among China’s domestic automakers. It can be said that in certain areas, Geely performs even better than BYD.
I’ve actually been to Zeekr for test drives twice recently.
My first test drive was when I took my dad for a leisurely drive around our hometown, and on a whim, we decided to stop by the Zeekr dealership. I drove the Han L EV to the Zeekr dealership following the GPS, and the security guard at the entrance motioned for me to park in a nearby spot. When I activated BYD’s automatic parking feature, it drew a crowd of salespeople and security guards from the dealership—haha, BYD’s automatic parking really is incredibly smooth.
After that, the sales staff at Zeekr were very welcoming. Once we’d managed to wriggle out of the typical sales pitch, my father and I began exploring the vehicles in the showroom at our own pace.
The Zeekr 001 and Zeekr 007GT feature highly distinctive exteriors that maintain their individuality while exhibiting a unique sense of cohesive harmony; Zeekr cars stand out clearly from other conventional vehicles on the road. My father, on the other hand, really likes the looks of the Zeekr 8X and 9X. He kept standing by the car, grinning and joking about the “Hangzhou Bay Cullinan” reference, which made the saleswoman standing next to him feel a bit awkward—haha.
A few years ago in the Chinese market, both the Zeekr 001 and the BYD Han were once the undisputed kings of the 250,000-class sedan segment, but their paths have taken drastically different turns: The Zeekr 001 was favored by those seeking individuality and a dynamic driving experience, but the intensely competitive Chinese market forced Zeekr to roll out new technology updates several times a year just to maintain its starting price and sales volume. This left many existing owners dissatisfied, as they felt “stabbed in the back” by the next updated model just a few months after purchasing their Zeekr 001; The BYD Han, on the other hand, has secured its position in the high-end C-segment family sedan market thanks to its sophisticated and elegant exterior—on par with the Audi A6—reliable and advanced battery, electronic control, and motor technologies, as well as its comfortable and solid chassis tuning. However, this success was short-lived. Perhaps due to a strategic misstep by BYD itself, the company opted for a strategy of minimal model updates and frequent price cuts to maintain market share, with the starting price dropping from 250,000 yuan back then to less than 150,000 yuan at its lowest point. To make matters worse, a large number of “ride-hailing” drivers chose the BYD Han as their service vehicle due to its exceptionally durable battery and motor technology and overall value for money—this is a high-end taxi profession, and the fact that it was selected for ride-hailing services should demonstrate the model’s high value, comfort, market recognition, and extreme durability. However, this also caused embarrassment for many ordinary families driving the BYD Han, They complain that they and their beloved cars are mistaken for street-side taxis trying to make a living.
In comparison, the Zeekr 001 is a much better option. It features a distinctive exterior and a firm, sporty suspension setup (taxis typically require a soft, comfortable ride), and its price has remained stable at around 250,000 yuan, which prevents it from being used as a ride-hailing vehicle.
Oh my gosh, I just started rambling and ended up talking about who knows what planet—let’s get back to the Zeekr dealership!
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