Zeekr will initially offer the Zeekr 001 shooting-brake and the Zeekr X urban SUV in Kazakhstan, where they will be available for pre-sale starting in September and delivered to customers in November.

(Image credit: CnEVPost)

Zeekr, the premium electric vehicle (EV) brand of the Geely Holding Group, announced its entry into Kazakhstan, following a similar move in Israel announced about a month ago.

Zeekr confirmed its arrival in Kazakhstan, a key market in Central Asia, in response to growing customer demand there, the company said in a press release today.

Zeekr has partnered with local car dealer Orbis Auto, which plans to launch Zeekr's EV products in Kazakhstan in the fourth quarter.

Zeekr will initially offer the Zeekr 001 shooting-brake and the Zeekr X urban SUV in Kazakhstan, where they will be available for pre-sale in September and delivered to customers in November.

Zeekr plans to provide local customers with an immersive experience from first contact to after-sales service, creating a full-stage service system, it said.

Orbis Auto, which has extensive experience in developing luxury automotive brands prior to partnering with Zeekr, will facilitate Zeekr's development of a sales network in the local automotive market, the release said.

"We are delighted to be working with Orbis Auto at this important stage of ZEEKR's global expansion in Central Asia," Zeekr vice president Chen Yu said, adding, " Kazakhstan has always been an important vehicle market. We are aiming to deliver products with Orbis Auto's exceptional customer services in Kazakhstan."

The market demand for EVs in Kazakhstan is growing rapidly, and the partnership is aimed at trying to capitalize on the trend and meet the needs of the country's motorists, said Dinara Iskakova, CEO of Orbis Auto.

This is the latest effort by Zeekr, which was founded in 2021, to expand its international market presence.

Zeekr's first model, the Zeekr 001, was launched on April 15, 2021, and deliveries began in China in October 2021. Its second model, the Zeekr 009 MPV, went on sale on November 1, 2022, and its deliveries began on January 15.

On April 12, Zeekr launched its third model, the Zeekr X, with deliveries in China starting on June 12.

Zeekr unveiled its European strategy on April 18, the first day of the Shanghai auto show, and announced on June 27 that it had begun pre-sales of the Zeekr 001 and Zeekr X in Europe, with first deliveries expected to begin within the year.

The first batch of Zeekr 001s built for European customers rolled off the production line at Zeekr's plant in Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, on August 2. The vehicles are expected to be shipped to Europe from the port of Taicang, Jiangsu province, in mid-August.

On July 10, Zeekr announced that it had signed an agreement with Israeli distributor Union Group to jointly establish a car distribution network in Israel.

GEO Mobility, Union's automotive business unit, plans to launch the Zeekr brand in the Israeli market in the fourth quarter, and has assembled a professional management team to set up an experience center and service system for Zeekr, according to a previous press release.

Zeekr will launch two models in Israel, the Zeekr 001 and the Zeekr X, with pre-sales and subsequent deliveries expected to begin in the fourth quarter.

Zeekr to begin offering its EVs in Israel in Q4