ZEEKR files for US IPO, shares first exterior images of its 007 sedan ahead of pre-orders

Lots of news out of China today, as Geely-owned EV brand ZEEKR has officially put the wheels in motion to go public on the New York Stock Exchange. Additionally, ZEEKR is also offering the public the best look at its first ever sedan – the 007 – following exterior images shared below.

Less than a week ago, we caught news that ZEEKR would soon be debuting its fourth EV model and first-ever sedan, called the 007. Although we hadn’t seen more than dark, silhouetted images at the time, ZEEKR’s decision to deliver a sedan all but hinted that the 007 will be its first mass market model.

Its predecessors include the 001 shooting brake and its new quad-motor FR version, the 009 multi-purpose vehicle (MPV), and a compact SUV called the ZEEKR X – all of which have launched in China where they are built, but only some have made their way to new markets like Europe.

Last week, we got the invite to New York to test drive the 001 and 009, but there was no mention of the 007 sedan. However, following the company presentation and in speaking with the ZEEKR team, there were hints that a public listing in the US might be imminent.

Today, we’ve learned that ZEEKR has filed to go public in the US, ahead of its start of pre-orders of the 007 sedan in China next week – see images below.

Let’s start with the pretty images of the 007 posted to ZEEKR’s Weibo page earlier today. We won’t get the full details until 10AM local time on November 17 at the Guangzhou Auto Show, but for now, this is our best peep at the sedan yet.

Like most of ZEEKR’s EVs, the 007 looks quite compact, even for a sedan. That said, the roof made almost entirely of glass should make for a spacious feeling inside the cabin. Sensors above the windshield also hint at some level of autonomy, meaning this model most likely features ZEEKR’s ADAS led by what it calls “Supervision,” consisting of cameras and radar – no LiDAR – and its own map technology, not HD mapping from companies like Baidu or Alibaba.

Aside from what we can gather from the new images, we don’t know much else about the ZEEKR 007 so far, but we will definitely get the full spiel a week from today and will be sure to report back.

In other big news, ZEEKR has officially filed to list on the NYSE, according to a prospectus listed overnight on the SEC’s website. The Chinese automaker intends to go public in the near future under the ticker symbol “ZK,” potentially joining the likes of EV competitors like NIO ($NIO) and XPeng Motors ($XPEV) on the US stock market.

While the process is now underway, it will take some time and regulatory processes before we see ZEEKR on the the ticker, but this is encouraging news for a company that is expanding quickly.