EV Loop Ep.2 Zeekr Launch in Australia

Table of Contents

This week’s episode talks about the latest Australian industry news, revolving around the Zeekr and Geely launch.

Video Transcript

Adrian Maidment (00:00):
Hello and welcome to EV Loop powered by Carloop. This is our second episode. I’m Adrian Maidment, bringing you most of the information…hello, Riz Akhtar.

Riz Akhtar:
Hey Adrian, good to be on for the second time. Yes, we’re back. Glowing reviews from the first episode.

Adrian Maidment:
That’s good to hear. My mum liked it. We probably have more to talk about this episode than we did last time. We have industry news focused on Australia, a bit of international news, upcoming events, and some local news on brands. Zeekr’s website is up. That’s exciting. It’s a brand I spent some time with in China, looking at their products. With the website quietly launched, we can see two of their first models entering the Australian market: the Zeekr X, the electric compact SUV, and the more luxurious 009, which is a people mover. More options are good for the industry. More stories from your Zeekr trip in China?

Riz Akhtar:

I got to test drive quite a few of these cars. The Zeekr X is definitely one of those premium vehicles we need in the market. It’s a bit bigger than the Volvo EX30. The more options we have, the better it is and the more confidence it gives the industry.

Adrian Maidment:
Staying on Chinese brands, there’s a rumour that Geely is coming to Australia. That’s Geely, the brand itself. It owns several brands, such as Volvo, but this is actually the Geely brand.

Riz Akhtar:
Yes, Geely is the parent company of Volvo Cars, Lotus, Zeekr, and multiple other brands. There are rumours they might enter the Australian and New Zealand markets with some of their own products. Geely is a brand of its own in China with lots of electric and ICE options, so watch this space.

Finally, in new cars, Cupra has a new model coming out two years after the first one. Cupra, out of the Volkswagen group in Australia, has had their Cupra Born electric hatchback since the end of 2022. Nearly 18 months later, they are finally launching their new electric SUV called the Tavascan. It is expected to launch in Australia later this year, in line with a few other markets. This time, we won’t be hanging around for years for these products to be launched locally.


I’ve read it’s also coming to New Zealand, probably at the start of next year. Cupra Born came to New Zealand first. Like most Volkswagen group cars, we still haven’t seen the ID.4, ID.5, ID.3, and other models. But once again, like the Zeekr X, the more options we have, the better it is for the industry, encouraging more people to switch to electric.

Adrian Maidment:
Chart of the week. This week, we have New South Wales EV uptake and growth.

Riz Akhtar:
New South Wales, the largest state in the country, is leading the charge when it comes to electric vehicles. We’ve seen over 50,000 pure battery electric passenger vehicles registered in the state, and that trend is increasing rapidly. Multiple factors contribute to this, including charging infrastructure grants for the industry and heavy investment in fleet programs, one of which was announced this week. Fleet operators in New South Wales can apply for new incentives to have money put towards electrified fleets.

Adrian Maidment:
Events coming up. Last week you mentioned your event, so we’ll mention that again, and then we have a few other events coming up. We’ll start with the Carloop event.

Riz Akhtar:
We have the EV Charging Summit happening in just over 10 days here in Melbourne. Multiple industries interested in installing EV charging infrastructure or learning more about it, including the property sector, retail sector, energy, automotive, and others, will be present. If you’re thinking about getting EV charging infrastructure for yourself or your customers, come to our event and learn more. Industry experts will share their insights and what’s ahead in this industry.

Adrian Maidment:
Can you give examples of guests or speakers you’ve got?

Riz Akhtar:
We have Emma Sutcliffe from EV Fire Safe. Fires and property are a big deal with EV charging, so she’ll be there to answer attendees’ questions and share her insights and data on EV fires and properties. We’ll also have Chris Cormack from JLL, a large property group, sharing their experiences in rolling out EV charging infrastructure. We’re also expecting Tesla, MG, and BYD to answer questions about owning these EVs in the industry.

Adrian Maidment:
Other events coming up include Tesla’s recharge at the Ginger Factory.

Riz Akhtar:
This is in Queensland and in partnership with the Queensland government. New Tesla chargers are very exciting. The Queensland government, like the New South Wales government, is investing in fast charging infrastructure. This site at the Ginger Factory on the Sunshine Coast is set to open, and they want to invite everyday Tesla owners and others interested in EV charging infrastructure to attend the opening. Tesla doesn’t do this often, so it’s a unique opportunity to see new vehicles and charging infrastructure co-funded by the Queensland government.

Adrian Maidment:
The Melbourne EV event?

Riz Akhtar:
The Melbourne Electric SUV Show is not long after Carloop’s EV Charging Summit. It will be held from 9th to 11th August, showcasing new cars from the industry and EV makers. We have word that Xpeng, Zeekr, and other newer brands will be showcasing their cars for the first time. Friday is usually an industry day, with many industry and fleet representatives coming to see new EV trends in Australia. Check that one out. There’s also the All-Energy event in October.

Adrian Maidment:
All-Energy is a large energy event. EVs and EV charging have become a big part of it in recent years, traditionally focusing on solar and battery technologies. I’ll be speaking there, covering EV market growth trends. If anyone’s interested in what’s happening in the EVs and energy sector, check out All-Energy in October.

Adrian Maidment:
Back to the actual EVs. Have you been driving anything this week, Riz?

Riz Akhtar:
This week, I haven’t driven anything else apart from my own Tesla, but I am excited about the upcoming launch of the Mini Cooper Electric. I’ll get a chance to test drive it in the coming weeks and share more about it. Last week, I test drove the BYD Seal Performance and saw the first sighting of the BYD Sealion, a Tesla Model Y competitor. Priced under the Model Y, it includes new technology from BYD and is an upgrade from the BYD Seal. It’s still undergoing testing, but we should see it launched before the end of this year in Australia and New Zealand. Many fleets are considering other EVs apart from Tesla, so this could be something to keep an eye on. We’ll bring more news as it comes to hand.

Adrian Maidment:
There’s quite a bit of buildup of EV activity in Australia compared to New Zealand. More industry events, new models—Australia seems to be on an upward curve.

Riz Akhtar:
Adoption is getting clearer. Every month, nearly 10,000 electric cars join the fleet. We recently surpassed 200,000 electric cars on our roads. The trend is towards more electrification, more chargers, and more choices of EVs. This is exciting and will help the industry move forward, especially fleets that purchase many cars and turn them around regularly, which means more used EVs will enter the market, making them more affordable.

Adrian Maidment:
The importance of government involvement, such as with the Tesla charging event and New South Wales funding, really benefits the industry, doesn’t it?

Riz Akhtar:
Government funding sends a message to the private sector that it’s time to invest. Reducing emissions from road transport is important to the government. States like New South Wales and Queensland are investing heavily in infrastructure. South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania, and Victoria have also done their part. We need a concerted effort at a federal level to accelerate this further. New South Wales leads the way, and Queensland is not far behind, encouraging private investment, which helps grow EV uptake numbers.

Adrian Maidment:
Before we end, what’s on the short-term horizon for Carloop?

Riz Akhtar:
Apart from organising our EV Charging Summit, I’ll be heading to Sydney next week for meetings with different parts of the industry. There’s a lot going on. We’re trying to collaboratively bring everyone on the journey. After Sydney, I’ll be back in Melbourne, focusing on our EV Charging Summit.

Adrian Maidment:
And a final reminder about the EV Charging Summit?

Riz Akhtar:
It’s on 7th August in Melbourne, in Mulgrave, southeast of Melbourne. We’ll have industry experts, electric vehicle car makers, and others involved in EV charging infrastructure in one room to share their expertise. If you’re thinking about installing charging infrastructure, come and check us out on 7th August in Melbourne.

Adrian Maidment:
Okay, Riz, thanks very much. See you next week.

Riz Akhtar:
See you next time.

Trending Posts