Chinese EV automaker ZEEKR continues its global expansion, recently relaying plans to sell its vehicles in Japan. The brand is reportedly establishing showrooms in at least three regions of the country ahead of the start of BEV sales next year.
Once again, Geely-owned EV marque ZEEKR ($ZK) continues to demonstrate ambitious global market expansion plans despite only being about three years old.
During that time, we watched the automaker debut and launch several models and quick refreshes, including its flagship 001 shooting brake and 009 multi-purpose vehicle (MPV). After shipping select models to Europe throughout 2023, ZEEKR officially began deliveries on the continent in December, beginning in the Netherlands.
This past February, Geely Auto inked a deal to sell ZEEKR EVs in Mexico, hinting at the time to further expansions into South America. As of July 2024, the brand had officially launched its 001 and X models in Mexico – its first entry into North America.
Now, ZEEKR is setting its sights on further expansions in a market closer to home – Japan.
ZEEKR is setting up shop at major hubs in Japan
A spokesperson for ZEEKR told CnEVPost that the EV automaker is working to establish a brand presence in Japan later this year ahead of the start of sales and deliveries in the country in 2025.
According to the report, ZEEKR is planning to build showrooms in three major areas in Japan in Q4, including Tokyo, the Kansai metropolitan area, and the Tokai Line. If and when that happens, ZEEKR will join BYD as the only other Chinese BEV automaker selling models in the country.
At the end of July, ZEEKR had established a presence in 30 international markets outside of China en route to its goal of 50 unique territories by the end of 2024. ZEEKR has not confirmed which of its all-electric models will be launched in Japan, but they will need to be configured for right-hand driving instead of left-hand in China.
That shouldn’t be a problem, as ZEEKR reported a start of right-hand BEV deliveries in Thailand earlier this month.
ZEEKR recently promised new model announcements coming on August 13, and the coinciding poster hinted that those updates will pertain to its 001 and 007 models. However, that has not been confirmed yet. We will keep an eye on that announcement tomorrow and report back.
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