between Tesla’s Robotaxi and Volkswagen’s ID.Buzz

On the occasion of the Beijing Motor Show, the European-based Chinese manufacturer Zeekr presents its new electric vehicle, the Mix, to the general public. A car that has a bigger battery and is more powerful than the Volkswagen ID. Buzz GTX with its 340 hp. Zeekr announces that it is a step towards a robot axis. Do you nod to Elon Musk and Tesla?

Long neglected in favor of SUVs, minivans and mini-vans are making a comeback with the advent of electric vehicles. The most famous of them, at least in Europe, is obviously the Volkswagen ID. Buzz. But competition is growing more and more for this model, especially in China, and the Beijing Auto Show that is taking place once again gives proof of this.

Here is the Zeekr Mix, presented to the public for the first time. Aesthetically, you will agree, it has less charm than ID. Buzz. Two-tone paint, a very small front overhang, a three-meter wheelbase and a total length of 4.69 meters… This Zeekr combination seems to be more inspired by a small German electric car. Even the weight is the same as that of Volkswagen: it will be 2,639 or 2,739 kg depending on the equipment.

A little bit of France in this little Chinese car

In terms of technology, even if it is not visible, there is a LiDAR mounted on the roof for the integration of the advanced autonomous driving system. The combination uses the Stargate system launched on the Zeekr 007, the front competitor of the Tesla Model 3, in front of it.

“But what is this devilry? » It is an LED screen that can illuminate in 16 levels of gray and spreads across the entire width of the front panel. You can choose different animations from the car’s main screen, and even write a personalized message.

It is enough to communicate with the outside world and pedestrians, for example, or to show that the car is working in autonomous driving mode. The height of luxury? “It’s French, sir!” »

Indeed, this screen was created by the French company Valeo, one of the largest equipment manufacturers in the world. We were also able to meet them at CES 2024, where they also presented a promising introductory charging system for electric vehicles. Coincidentally (or not), the Volkswagen ID.Code concept car also presented at the Beijing Motor Show offers this type of technology.

Strong and durable

On board, the Zeekr Mix has two rows of three seats, including the front. Families will appreciate it. A five-seat version is also available. To get on board, all side doors will slide, including the front right passenger door. The turning radius is less than 10 meters, a part function.

The Zeekr hybrid will be available at launch in two versions, both powered by a rear motor with a maximum power of 310 kW (421 chapters)

Two NMC (nickel – manganese – cobalt) type batteries will be available, the larger one will be approx. 100 kWh according to the first figures set, which would give a distance of more than 500 km according to the Chinese CLTC cycle, and more than 450 km below the WLTP level if this model arrives in France.

Nothing tells us yet that this model will arrive in Europe in the coming years, but in any case it is a good weapon. In any case, Zeekr announces that this is the first step towards robotaxi, as the SEA-M platform will be used for the brand’s robotaxi, Zeekr M Vision, in collaboration with Waymo (Google).