BEIJING: Geely-owned Zeekr, formed in 2021, has announced its luxury all-electric 001 vehicle has broken two Guinness World Records.
Less than a year since the brand started delivering vehicles to customers in China, Zeekr has made its mark on the global stage by claiming the titles for the fastest drift ever achieved by an electric car and the fastest electric car slalom.
The records have fully verified the 001 as "fast, accurate and stable."
The fastest electric vehicle drift required the vehicle to achieve greater than 160kph and the 001 was able to achieve a maximum speed of 207.996kph.
Using the 001’s twin electric drive system, the front and rear were able to achieve instant torque output up to 7,680Nm and an acceleration time up to 100kph in 3.8s.
This power and acceleration, combined with the 001’s high-performance chassis suspension system, maximised body stability and allowed the driver to maintain consistent and precise drifting and the car to "dance right on the edge of the limit", said Zeekr in a press statement.
Zeekr’s 001 also went on to set a new benchmark for the fastest ever all-electric car slalom. The vehicle weaved between 50 cones equally spaced and completed the course, without touching or knocking any down, in 49.05 seconds.
001’s intelligent electric four-wheel drive system boosted acceleration off the line and enabled excellent handling of the vehicle on the fast and dynamic course.
The power distribution and the balance between the front and rear wheels between the cones allowed for the 001 to glide through the cones with minimal disruption from the chassis or tyres, maintaining stable braking at the end. The strong grip also allowed the vehicle to have better cornering ability throughout.
Breaking these two world records, Zeekr has stuck to its own philosophy to not be “a boring electric car”.
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The records were broken in August under the supervision of an adjudicator from Guinness World Records at the CATARC proving ground in China.
Zeekr said it continues to prioritise and fulfill local market customer orders ahead of a planned European roll-out from 2023, where it will ramp up capacity at the ZEEKR plant — one of the world’s most advanced vehicle facilities — to deal with strong demand for the 001.
