With premium electric vehicle sales feeling the pinch in Europe, Geely-owned brand Zeekr remains committed to bringing high quality cars packed with top technology to market, according to Europe CEO Lothar Schupet.
Speaking exclusively with WardsAuto, Schupet said the take-up of premium EVs will, inevitably, be slower in the fledgling stages as consumers transition away from internal combustion engines to more affordable electric vehicles being imported by China-based rivals.
Yet, interest is growing among consumers for premium EV products, he said, citing a recent Bain & Co. poll of auto dealerships.
“That study showed that the premium segment has a much more higher adoption rate in EVs, so it's interesting that, yes, for sure it looks like the mass market gets a faster acceleration in sheer volumes, but it's also because they have a much more higher addressable market,” Schupet told WardsAuto following IAA Mobility 2025 in Munich.
European consumers are increasingly considering new brands from China whose products provide higher levels of standard in-cabin technology than some of the continent’s legacy brands, he said.
“They provide high quality in terms of credibility and state-of-art technology so that the industry is trending towards premium brands and Chinese premium brands,” Schupet added.
However, he makes a distinction with Zeekr, which began its European expansion in Sweden alongside its Geely-owned sister brand Volvo. The brand is focused on Europe with one of its three research and development centers based in Gothenburg, Sweden, and sales headquarters in Amsterdam.
The brand currently markets three models in European markets: the Zeekr 001 luxury “shooting brake,” the Zeekr X mid-size SUV and the Zeekr 7X full-size SUV.
Referring to the SEA [sustainable electric architecture] vehicle platforms provided by Geely, Schupet said: “We have the power of a giant and a European soul taking the view to accommodate European customers' requirements and we adapt the products in that way so all the mapping of pedals, braking, suspension systems, also the infotainment HMI, is completely adapted to the Europeans.”
Zeekr has invested time and resources into understanding the European markets with a local management team assembled from legacy European automakers with decades of work experience, he added.
Currently, the brand sells in Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland and Greece. “I think in about two weeks, you will see four more markets in the south of Europe in which we will launch,” said Schupet.
He admitted that the imposition of EU tariffs on China-made EVs have been a challenge but one the brand has met by reorganizing its end-to-end supply chain and exploring new distribution strategies to keep its operations lean and efficient.
“Now the second phase of strong acceleration starts because the next 12 to 15 months we want to be in the core of Europe in terms of volume,” he said.
