Zeekr Intelligent Technology Holding Limited announced that it will enter France, the United Kingdom, Italy and Spain in 2026 and will evaluate the launch of extended‑range plug‑in hybrids in those markets.
The move is driven by a combination of customer demand for range flexibility, EU incentives for lower‑emission vehicles, and the need to avoid potential tariffs on fully electric cars imported from China. By offering hybrids, Zeekr aims to position itself against premium competitors such as Tesla, BMW and Audi while meeting regulatory expectations for 2035 fossil‑fuel bans.
Zeekr’s expansion is part of a broader growth plan that sees the brand contributing roughly 300,000 units to Geely Auto’s 2026 target of 3.45 million vehicles. The company’s own 1 million‑unit goal for 2026 is not confirmed in public sources, but the new markets are expected to accelerate sales and broaden the brand’s European footprint.
Financially, Zeekr has posted steady revenue growth and improving gross margins in 2024 and early 2025. Total revenue rose 9.1 % year‑over‑year in Q3 2025, and gross margin reached 19.2 %, up from 19.0 % in Q4 2024, underscoring a solid financial foundation for the expansion.
Lothar Schupet, Zeekr’s acting head of European operations, said the hybrid strategy “addresses the range‑flexibility preferences of European customers and positions us to compete more directly with established premium EV makers.” He added that the company is “confident in our platform technology and supply chain readiness for international deployment.”
Analysts note that the expansion signals Zeekr’s confidence in its technology and its ambition to capture a larger share of the growing European EV market, though they caution that the company will need to sustain strong demand and manage cost pressures to meet its sales targets.
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