‘Zeek’-ing a new way of luxury travel
Think luxury cars and it’s the European brands that often come to mind – Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi, Porsche, Jaguar.
For decades and decades, these manufacturers have been at the very forefront of automotive technology in the pursuit of unmatched luxury mobility. But as the electric-vehicle (EV) age rolls in, these giants are getting serious competition from, of all places, the People’s Republic.
Such is the mission of Zeekr, a luxury EV brand that was founded in March 2021 and is majority-owned by Geely Automobile Holdings. Exactly one year after the brand officially launched in the Philippines, it opened its first showroom in the country on Monday at Bonifacio Global City (BGC) in Taguig City.
Zeekr BGC is part of the highly renowned Autohub Group of Companies helmed by industry veteran Willy Tee Ten, who has considerable experience in the luxury-car market as the official importer and distributor of Lotus and MINI.
‘Fell in love’
Zeekr International East Asia director Jeff Cao told Inquirer Motoring that the collaboration came about when he met Tee Ten in Manila in 2023.
“We also considered that Willy already had experience with Rolls-Royce, which is a very high-end luxury brand,” he said. “He also needed a new EV brand, so at that time, I think we fell in love with each other.”
Cao added that Zeekr BGC’s location, which was provided by Tee Ten, is in line with the brand’s target buyers.
“BGC is one of Asia’s top financial districts, so it’s the home of international corporate executives, techpreneurs and high-net-worth families,” he said. “And as you can see, many premium brands are joining this battle like Tesla and BYD.”
Cao said he sees huge potential for Zeekr in the Philippines as the country is now joining the electric revolution thanks to government incentives for EVs.
“The Philippines is a very large market for us,” he said. “Most of our customers are middle-age and middle-class. And the high-income population in the Philippines is expanding rapidly and there is a growing demand for luxurious mobility solutions.”
Ready to shift
Meanwhile, Zeekr International vice president Jinjun Tian told Inquirer Mobility that Zeekr is actually an acronym that represents what the company stands for.
“Z means zero-emission and start from zero,” he said. “E means electronic and environmentally friendly. KR is Krypton, which is a rare gas that emits light when electrified.”
Tian added that the brand distinguishes itself from established European luxury manufacturers by how it uses and develops technology in its vehicles.
“We use extremely high technology to create an amazing experience for consumers,” he said. “It’s interactive between vehicle and people, vehicle and vehicle, and vehicle and facility. So this is a very smart, environmentally friendly and sustainable transportation solution.”
As of press time, Zeekr Philippines sells four EV models – the X subcompact crossover, the 7X midsize crossover, the 001 shooting brake and the flagship 009 multi-purpose vehicle. Tian noted that the company is currently developing plug-in-hybrid models that we may see on Philippine roads soon.
Second showroom?
Cao also hinted at the opening of another Zeekr showroom this year.
“I think that the new showroom means a lot,” he said. “This is the starting point – we want to have more and more Zeekr users. We want Zeekr BGC to be the light of luxury shining brightly over Manila.”
Given the immense value proposition offered by Zeekr, this light of luxury may soon shine all over the Philippines.
