Zeekr presents electric van Mix based on new electric architecture
Already with the SEA, which debuted in the large electric shooting brake Zeekr 001, the carmaker announced in 2020 that the platform would be used for electric passenger cars in various segments and light commercial vehicles. As the development cycles of Chinese manufacturers are generally noticeably shorter, the SEA has already undergone a significant transformation in its short lifetime: The facelift of the Zeekr 001 presented a few weeks ago now works with 800 instead of 400 volts system voltage.
However, the SEA-M has not been optimised for driving performance or charging times but to “perfect combination of ultimate space, vehicular safety, and swift handling”, Zeekr states. The Geely subsidiary has invested seven billion yuan or around 900 million euros in the SEA-M.
The architecture’s typical flat floor, the long wheelbase in relation to the length and the “capsule-styled exterior” will maximise space in the interior. At the same time, the advanced E/E architecture “allows infotainment screens to be set up both for the driver and passengers, easing the boredom of travelling on road”, Zeekr writes. Despite the spacious interior, which is otherwise only possible with a larger vehicle, the SEA-M is still intended to remain manoeuvrable (Zeekr specifies a turning radius of less than five metres, meaning a turning circle of less than ten metres) and is ready for autonomous driving. The platform is equipped with a steer-by-wire system. That enables a variable steering ratio and allows the steering wheel to be decoupled – if the car drives autonomously in the future.
The first model based on the SEA-M is the Zeekr Mix, which celebrates its official premiere at the trade fair. As reported, the fifth Zeekr model is a smaller electric van with five seats, which could also come to Europe in 2025.
In its latest press release for Auto China, Zeekr states a length of 4.70 metres with a wheelbase of just three metres. That makes the Mix five centimetres shorter than the current electric bestseller Tesla Model Y, but it has a longer wheelbase and should offer noticeably more space.
As the SEA-M also manages without its own B-pillar, the sliding doors (front and rear, mind you) provide a large access opening to the front and rear seats. Renderings also show sofa-like lounge seats in the Zeekr Mix.
However, Zeekr has yet to provide any new technical data for the drive. Therefore, we only know what had been published in the vehicle catalogue of the Chinese Ministry of Industry a few weeks back: the electric motor is said to deliver 310 kW, and the batteries with NCM chemistry are supplied by a joint venture between Geely and CATL. However, no further details are available yet.
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