40 days after officially unveiling its fourth EV model and first-ever sedan, ZEEKR has officially launched the 007 with some noteworthy in-house technology. Starting at a price below $30,000, consumers in China have been lining up their 007 pre-orders… over 50,000 to be specific.
If you haven’t heard of ZEEKR by now, they may be on your radar sooner rather than later, as the Geely-owned EV automaker continues to expand its global reach beyond China and into Europe. The company currently offers its flagship 001 shooting brake, a high-performance variant called the 001 FR, a multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) called the 009, and most recently, an SUV called the ZEEKR X.
We’ve driven the 001 and 009 and were quite impressed out of the gate, but it’s arguably ZEEKR’s early success and future ambitions that have garnered the most excitement about the relatively young brand.
Until recently, ZEEKR’s models have been targeted for niche segments in the EV market. However, in early November 2023, the automaker began teasing a new EV called the 007 – its first-ever sedan and its first model designed for the mass market.
Two weeks later, ZEEKR opened 007 pre-orders in China. At the same time, it simultaneously filed for a US IPO and began teasing a tech day where it would unveil its own in-house battery technology – debuting in what else but the 007 sedan.
Today, ZEEKR has officially launched the 007 sedan in China before it expands to other global markets, and from what we’ve learned – it has the makings to be a hit. Check it out.
ZEEKR launches Long Range 007 with 870km range
According to news out of ZEEKR today, the 007 has officially launched in China and will be delivered to the 51,569 customers who have already placed pre-orders and go through with their purchases. In addition to being ZEEKR’s first mass-market EV, the 007 sedan features several other firsts for the brand.
For instance, it is the first model to adopt an integrated mega-casting rear-end aluminum body with a torsional stiffness of 43,500 N·m/deg. The sedan is also the first to feature ZEEKR’s new in-house developed audio system and ADAS consisting of one LiDAR sensor, 12 HD cameras, and five millimeter-wave radars.
As we reported in December, the 007’s 800V platform also features the debut of ZEEKR’s new lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cells and battery packs – capable of replenishing 500km (311 miles) of range in 15 minutes on a DC fast charger. Today, ZEEKR shared the Standard Range version featuring this battery technology offers 688km (428 miles) of CLTC range on a single charge.
For those looking for more range, ZEEKR will offer a long-range variant of the new sedan that features Qilin batteries from CATL. That model promises a whopping 870km (540 miles) of CLTC range. ZEEKR also shared the 007 can accelerate 0-100km/h (0-62 mph) in 2.84 seconds.
ZEEKR has shared that the Standard Range version will start at a price below $30,000 and will be one of five different trim options. This includes two single-motor versions and three dual-motor, AWD versions. They are priced as follows:
Single-Motor
RMB 209,900 ($29,475)
RMB 229,900 ($32,425)
Dual-Motor
RMB 229,900 ($32,425)
RMB 259,900 ($36,655)
RMB 299,900 ($42,300)
Deliveries in China are expected to begin on January 1, 2024.
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Fancy German-made mid-drives are often considered the premier option for electric bikes, offering higher precision engineering and an overall more sophisticated experience. But they’ve also been quite pricey, at least until Ride1Up began running an incredible sale on its normally $2,195 Prodigy XC electric mountain bike, marked down to just $1,295.
I reviewed the urban version of this bike back when it was at full price, and it was a great buy even at its MSRP. But now with this killer Black Friday price, this is a deal that is unlikely to ever be seen again.
The Class 3 electric bicycle can hit speeds of up to 28 mph (45 km/h), and comes with all the benefits of that nice Brose TF Sprinter mid-drive motor. That means you get the smooth and refined torque sensor-based pedal assist, the color screen, and the higher-end ride quality.
Other nice components found on the bike include the Maxxis Forekaster off-road tires, the Tektro quad-piston hydraulic disc brakes, and the 120mm-travel air suspension fork.
At this price, Ride1Up is almost certainly selling the bike at below cost, meaning you’re getting it for less than it costs the company to build these highly-acclaimed e-bikes.
Why would they do that? Because this is the previous generation of the bike, which was eclipsed by the second-generation Prodigy V2. But hey, if this bike was good enough when it came out a year before the V2 (and it was), then it still a great bike today. For those who don’t need the nicest and newest version of a piece of tech, this is an incredible steal of a deal.
Ride1Up is all but certain to be moving these Prodigy XCs at such a low price to clear up shelf space in their warehouse, so when these are gone, they’re gone for good. And this isn’t only a Black Friday price – the company has been moving these bikes for several months at this crazy sale price. That further underscores that this is a clear-out-the-previous-version sale that will be gone for good when the bikes are gone.
At this price, there’s simply no other German-made mid-drive e-bike out there with the bang-for-buck offered by the $1,295 Prodigy XC right now, that’s for sure.
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Higher fuel prices could be in the cards if President-elect Donald Trump follows through with his tariff threats on Canada, according to industry experts, who are skeptical on whether the new levies will ever be implemented.
Trump on Monday pledged to implement additional tariffs on China, Canada and Mexico on day one of his presidency, according to his posts on social media platform Truth Social. He said he would sign an executive order on Jan. 20 imposing a 25% tariff on all imports from Canada and Mexico, a move that may breach the terms of a regional free trade agreement.
Goldman Sachs’ Co-Head of Global Commodities Research Daan Struyven said that if a 25% levy hit Canadian crude exports to the U.S. “that could, in theory, lead to some pretty significant consequences for three groups.”
U.S. refiners who rely on Canadian oil barrels could face lower profit margins, and consumers may potentially face higher prices, surmised Struyven. Lastly, Canadian producers may suffer revenue losses if they are unable to reroute their barrels that would have otherwise gone to the U.S.
America’s imports of Canadian crude oil hit a record of 4.3 million barrels per day in July 2024 after the expansion of Canada’s Trans Mountain pipeline, according to the most recent data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
If we were to see a 25% tariff on Canadian energy exports, I think it could have some very significant ramifications for trade flows.
Daan Struyven
Goldman Sachs
Additionally, refiners in the Midwest, which are more adapted to process Canada’s heavy sour crude rather than the low sulfur sweet crude produced domestically, could also have problems switching should the Canadian imports be interrupted, Struyven told journalists at an online conference.
“If we were to see a 25% tariff on Canadian energy exports, I think it could have some very significant ramifications for trade flows,” Struyven said.
Mexico and especially Canada have “notable tightly integrated linkages” with the U.S. when it comes to the oil, natural gas and auto industries, Citigroup wrote in a note following Trump’s announcements this week.
“Absent carve-outs, this would increase costs for U.S. refiners and U.S. consumers,” said the bank’s research team led by Energy Strategist Eric Lee.
However, Goldman highlighted that it is unlikely that the tariffs will be implemented as announced, on the premise that the Trump administration is focused on reducing energy costs.
Trump cannot allow inflation to get out of control in the 15 months before the midterm election season, Viktor Shvets, global strategist at Macquarie Capital, told CNBC. Shvets believes that tariffs are used as a negotiating tool to achieve certain objectives such as strengthening the border.
“I do not believe for a second that there will be a massive increase in overall tariffs because that will represent a tax on U.S. domestic manufacturers. That will also represent a tax on U.S. exporters,” said Shvets.
Canada’s trade bodies have shared their concerns, too.
Danielle Smith, the premier of Alberta which accounts for the largest production of crude in Canada, said that the Trump administration has “valid concerns related to illegal activities at our shared border,” and urged the federal government to resolve said issues immediately to avoid any “unnecessary tariffs” on Canadian exports.
On today’s fact-checking episode of Quick Charge, we’ve got a showdown brewing between California Governor Gavin Newsom and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, an updated 650 hp Kia EV6 GT that’s ready to take on the world, and some sweet deals on battery-powered goodies.
We’ve also got new electric buses at UCLA that are powered by inductive current in the road itself, and a massive new solar project on a site more famous for coal than clean. All this and a little bit of fact-checking on some fresh musky nonsense – enjoy!
Today’s episode is sponsored by BLUETTI, a leading provider of portable power stations, solar generators, and energy storage systems. For a limited time, save up to 52% during BLUETTI’s exclusive Black Friday sale, now through November 28, and be sure to use promo code BLUETTI5OFF for 5% off all power stations site wide. Learn more at this link.
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