CHINESE premium electric vehicle (EV) maker Zeekr plans to expand to Hong Kong and Macau next year, its first foray into right-hand drive markets.

The Zhejiang Geely Holding Group unit will start shipping its X sport utility vehicle and 009 minivan in the second half of 2024, a Zeekr representative said. It plans to open three showrooms in Hong Kong and one in Macau.

Fierce competition at home has driven Chinese EV producers to look for new customers elsewhere, targeting Europe, South-east Asia and smaller markets like Hong Kong. Zeekr’s move follows Xpeng, a Volkswagen-backed rival that plans to start shipping to the Asian financial hub next year. China’s best-selling brands BYD and MG Motor, owned by Shanghai-based SAIC Motor, already have EVs on the streets of Hong Kong.

Hong Kong and Macau will be the first to get Zeekr’s right-hand drive models, with pricing yet to be determined. The Hangzhou-based automaker said it continues to assess other right-hand drive markets including the UK and Japan.

Kam Lung Motor Group, Zeekr’s distribution partner in south China’s Greater Bay Area, will also start selling left-hand drive Zeekr models in Macau in the coming months, well before right-hand drive versions are available, the representative said.

Zeekr delivered 79,000 vehicles in the first nine months of this year, doubling from the same period in 2022. The EV brand has filed for an IPO in the US and is expected to raise about US$1 billion. BLOOMBERG

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