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The automobile industry has been steering towards an electric future. In Europe, sales of both fully electric and hybrid cars have risen as costs drop and technology improves. Competition within the industry is fierce, and new players are challenging legacy carmakers.
The Chinese brand Zeekr is among newcomers hoping to make inroads. Lothar Schupet, CEO of Zeekr Europe, says that many Chinese manufacturers are “providing – simply for the money people will spend – much more car, much more technology, more performance, and also in our case more craftsmanship and luxury.” As the company prepares to start selling EVs in France, he says he’s confident Zeekr can compete with more established carmakers in the premium market. “We are still at the starting point of building a brand (…) Our goal is very clearly defined: we want to be one of the top players in Europe.”
Schupet says that EU tariffs of up to 45 percent on Chinese-made cars were a small roadbump in the firm’s European rollout. “We are looking into options, in terms of local production and getting even more efficient. But what is clear is that tariffs have not held us back.”
Schupet said a recent EU U-turn on banning the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2035 won’t stop the industry from becoming more sustainable. “Electrification and the adoption of electric mobility is happening. With an extension of CO2 emissions for a few years further, that will not change.”
He believes that consumers, not regulators, will drive demand. “When you look into the consumer value – the total cost of ownership – there are a lot of advantages where the consumer will decide. And we see (…) even in very traditional countries like Germany and France, now the EV adoption is generating more acceleration, more pace.”
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