Nowadays all high-end Zeekr electric vehicles are made in China and are subject to a temporary EU import duty of 19.9 percent. The final tariff level is due to be set in November.
Other countries, including the U.S. and Türkiye, have also raised import tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles this year.
There will be no new factory
Andy An, CEO of Zeekr, told Bloomberg News that Zeekr will not build a new factory, adding that any European production would be carried out at an existing plant owned by the Geely Group or one of its European partners. The group currently has Volvo Cars plants in Sweden and Belgium.
“We are actively continuing localization work in Europe and will announce this in due time,” said Andy An.
It is also being considered local production in other regionsIn the UK, Geely owns London Electric Vehicle Co., which is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Chinese carmaker.
Political Tensions Between Beijing, Brussels and Washington
Geely owns the Swedish brands Volvo and Polestar and is a shareholder in the company joint venture Smart with Mercedes Benz. These brands have been caught up in the growing political tensions between Beijing, Brussels and Washington, and cars made in China are now subject to increased tariffs.
Zeekr Intelligent Technology is also accelerating its expansion into other regions. It will begin shipping this year in key markets in the Middle East, Latin America and Southeast Asia. Sales are also expected to begin next year in Japan and South Korea, An said.
