Chinese car manufacturer Zeekr wants to double its sales in 2023 and sell as many as 140,000 vehicles.
The Geely-owned carmaker managed to sell 72,000 vehicles in 2022, the vast majority of which found homes in China. The sole model it was producing last year was the 001 but it will soon be joined by the luxurious 009 MPV that will enter production this month.
While recently speaking with Reuters at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Zeekr chief executive Andy An noted the company sees growth potential throughout Europe.
Read: Geely’s Zeekr Luxury EV Brand Is Eyeing A $1 Billion IPO In The U.S.
An’s comments came after it unveiled an automotive taxi prototype developed alongside Waymo at CES. Zeekr’s boss noted that the company plans to build vehicles for Waymo in China and may also build the autonomous vehicles in the United States. Interestingly, An says Zeekr has no plans to actually enter the U.S. consumer market.
Helping to further drive Zeekr’s sales in 2023 will be the updated 001. As with the first iteration of the EV, the 2023 001 is offered in single-motor and dual-motor configurations with 268 hp and 536 hp respectively. Customers can then choose between either an 86 kWh or 100 kWh battery pack. New for 2023 is the availability of a 140 kWh Kirin battery pack which when paired to the rear-mounted electric motor, can travel a claimed 1,032 km (641 miles) on a single charge.
Not only is Zeekr aiming to double sales this year but it is also eyeing off an initial public offering (IPO) in the United States. It is claimed that the carmaker is seeking a valuation of more than $10 billion and could go public as early as the second quarter of 2023.
