Zeekr’s arrival in Europe is not simply the debut of another Chinese brand in our market, nor just one of the many brands within the Geely galaxy. Founded as recently as 2021 to mass-produce what was initially supposed to be Lynk & Co’s first electric vehicle, Zeekr is now a cornerstone for Geely itself. It is even behind the development of the SEA, the platform ecosystem on which all the group’s models are built.
Zeekr has inherited the legacy of what was previously known as CEVT (China Euro Vehicle Technology AB), now renamed Zeekr Technology Europe. Based in Gothenburg and working closely with China, it is here that the most innovative architectures, including those for autonomous driving, are brought to life. While I was in Oslo to learn about Zeekr’s plans for Europe and get the first details on the European Zeekr 7X, I also had the chance to speak with Giovanni Lanfranchi, the CEO of Zeekr Technology Europe.
A brief aside: the name Zeekr is a blend of “Generation Z,” which reflects both the young age of the brand and its target of a youthful or youth-oriented clientele, and the English slang word “geek,” used to describe eccentric and non-mainstream personalities.
From CMA to SEA
The SEA platform is recent, but to think it has completely cut ties with the past would be wrong. On the contrary, its foundation was the previous modular platform from Volvo, the Compact Modular Architecture (CMA), which still underpins models like the Volvo XC40/EX40/EC40, the Polestar 2, and the Lynk & Co 01 and 03.
“We developed CMA an experience that later contributed to the creation of SEA, the Sustainable Experience Architecture, for Zeekr. Although SEA was developed in China, the Gothenburg team played a crucial role, not only in technological innovation but also in defining the features that allowed its evolution,” explains Lanfranchi.
“A practical example is the development of SEA-M, whose first application was for Waymo [Zeekr M-Vision, ed.] and then on the Zeekr MIX. Compared to the original SEA, SEA-M allows for very different modularity and vehicle habitability. The Zeekr designed for Waymo completely lacks pillars, and even the Zeekr Mix has entirely eliminated central pillars and adopted a different approach to the doors, expanding on the concept of the ‘lounge cabin’ with rotating seats and optimized spaces.”
The Zeekr Mix, the brand’s compact MPV already available in China, is thus built on the most Swedish of SEA variants, the SEA-M, designed for medium-sized vehicles, as the name suggests, and also used for autonomous ones.
“From a technical standpoint, this requires significant changes to the architecture to reduce weight and improve energy efficiency, supported by tools like the digital twin. This system allows for the simulation of various scenarios to optimize the interaction between architecture, powertrain, and aerodynamics,” Lanfranchi continues.
A Tech Company
Since its inception, Zeekr has defined itself as a tech company, a point emphasized by the CEO of Zeekr Technology Europe.
“This is because, if you follow the ‘traditional route’ today, you really have little chance of success, so you need to stand out even in your production approach. But beyond that, Zeekr was born with the philosophy of being ‘tech first.’”
Giovanni explains that the way of working is also more akin to that of a tech company than an automotive one, which, according to him, makes internal bureaucracy much leaner.
“There are decision-making processes, but they are very fast.” It is immediately clear that this has very positive implications for development times, as “a car is developed in less than two years, even 18 months,” timelines that explain how Zeekr has built such a rich vehicle lineup in just three years.
This lineup now includes the Zeekr 001, Zeekr 009 (from which the Volvo EM90 is derived), Zeekr X, Zeekr 007, Zeekr 7X, and Zeekr MIX.
“And this is not because the Chinese work a lot,” Giovanni adds jokingly. “We certainly work a lot, but it’s this philosophy of agile interaction that makes everything simpler.” When discussing competitors, Zeekr certainly looks to Tesla, but it identifies several rivals. “The most aggressive ones are definitely Chinese manufacturers. Nio and Li Auto are certainly those with high levels of speed. I wouldn’t say faster than us,” he adds, responding to my provocation, “but they are certainly competitors to be respected.”
However, he acknowledges that there are areas for improvement: in his words, while Zeekr has successfully taken steps to evolve the platform, particularly in terms of infotainment, there is still a lack of optimization in the user experience. Lanfranchi mentions a gap in “freshness” and “fluidity” compared to others or third parties, particularly in mapping systems. However, he anticipates the arrival of Navigation 2.0, which will bring real-time updates to Zeekr, adapting to traffic conditions.
European or Chinese?
And in Europe? He laughs a little before replying:
“It pains me to say it, but at the moment, Europeans are lagging behind. Particularly in the digital realm, some European companies are doing interesting things, but I don’t see them as the main competitors. However, I would say that after an initial arrogance from European companies, there is now a greater awareness that we are no longer the best or untouchable, which has certainly given them a boost. From a market perspective, this is positive because it adds dynamism.”
Certainly, Zeekr and Geely as a whole benefit from also being European, given the Swedish headquarters. But in Europe, as Lanfranchi reiterates, it’s not enough to be better; you have to do something extra “to make up for the brand recognition gap that we obviously don’t have today.”
Everything In-House
Zeekr also stands out for its development approach, which aims to keep everything, or almost everything, in-house—or so it seems.
“That’s a good question because it depends,” Lanfranchi tells me. “For example, on the Zeekr 001, the entire ADAS part is developed in collaboration with Mobileye [an Israeli company and one of the world leaders in this field, ed.]. The internal discussion we’re having is whether, as more elements like intelligent drive, ADAS, and so on become distinctive features, it makes sense to rely on others, or should we create an internal architecture to move faster? And in the case of ADAS, the answer is leaning toward yes. Of course, in these cases, the system is open source, and it’s more the ecosystem that makes the difference. But in certain cases, like this, it’s important to have proprietary technology that allows you to move faster on the one hand and incorporate other experiences, like those we’re having with Waymo on safe and autonomous driving, on the other.”
This also answers the question of why Zeekr, unlike Volvo and Polestar, which rely on Google, has an entirely proprietary system and currently lacks compatibility with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Lanfranchi emphasizes that this doesn’t mean a lack of partners—for example, Zeekr’s maps are developed with HERE Technologies—but everything concerning the interface and user experience is managed and created internally.
“This is also a matter of efficiency. To listen to customer feedback, it’s better to act directly; otherwise, you always have to go to this or that partner, and everything becomes slower,” Lanfranchi adds.
Zeekr and Autonomous Driving
We mentioned the collaboration between Zeekr and Waymo, which sees Geely’s brand also engaged in the development of autonomous driving, mainly in the U.S. but not exclusively.
Lanfranchi is optimistic about Europe, as Germany, Austria, and Sweden have already opened to trials, recently joined by Norway, primarily around Oslo. According to Lanfranchi, evolution depends both on institutional maturity, which comes with time, and growing confidence, so that in the near future, most European roads will increasingly accommodate Level 4 vehicles.
“For me, autonomous driving is a form of customer assistance in certain conditions. I worked in Rome for a while and lived in Piacenza. I would leave at 8:30/9 p.m. and arrive in Rome at 2 a.m.: having an autonomous driving system that could reduce stress would have helped, leaving driving only for leisure moments like Saturdays or Sundays. So, in my opinion, it’s very scenario-dependent.”
A Future Focused on Integration and Data Protection
Everything discussed so far highlights that Zeekr is far from stagnant. Lanfranchi reveals upcoming models primarily in the Z, C, and M lines of the SEA.
“We’re working a lot on the M part, the Mobility Part, where Gothenburg has significant leadership. And at the team level, we’re working heavily on Data Strategy, Data Management, Cloud, and Anonymization, which are very important. In mid-2025, we’ll announce Navigation 3.0, which will integrate the ADAS and Digital Cockpit parts. Today, infotainment and ADAS are handled by separate teams, but creating a unified team will, I believe, improve the experience and accelerate development times.”
Regarding anonymization, much work goes into collecting data valuable to the company in terms of customer targeting—understanding different age groups, how they use their cars, and their most frequented locations—all while ensuring anonymity.
“Anonymization in healthcare, for instance, is simple because there’s only one variable: the person. In automotive, there’s a variable of time and space that are correlated and more complex to separate. Regarding EU regulations, everyone thinks they’re an obstacle and fears GDPR. I believe it’s important because, as a citizen, I feel protected, and it’s crucial to have this concept of ‘privacy by design.’ It’s very important and involves the use of AI, as you need to predict when the car will stop; otherwise, we can figure out where the user stopped, and that’s not okay. There’s a fascinating interplay between AI and technology here, which, for instance, is missing in China. They don’t have these privacy laws for obvious reasons, and for us, this is a strong differentiator.”
