since 1976
since 1976
By Lee Pang Seng
RANGE is the common anxiety facing EV (electric vehicle) owners but it is an issue that is becoming less of a problem. EVs are increasingly being given better range and for those with shorter range, there are visibly more charge points along highways and at shopping malls and condos.
Getting the best range also depends on how you drive the EV. Like its ICE (internal combustion engine) counterpart, the same approach applies in getting the best fuel consumption. The lighter you are with the pressure on the accelerator and you would be rewarded with more mileage, whether EV or ICE vehicles.
We have driven enough EVs to come to that conclusion and a recent drive event to Penang organised by Zeekr involving its ‘Tech-Luxury’ 009 MPV (multipurpose vehicle) affirmed our impression. The drive event also allowed us to draw clear parallels between driving an ICE vehicle and EV between the Klang Valley and Penang.
Our start point was the IOI Puchong Mall where Zeekr has a sales office. Five Zeekr 009 MPVs were provided for the drive and it was the carmaker’s intention to show that it was highly possible to drive from the Klang Valley to Penang without the need to recharge along the way.
Our Zeekr 009 registered 470km as its available range on the 10.25-inch instrument panel. This was about 80 per cent of the 582km that it could provide on a full charge. Obviously, the Zeekr 009 provided for the run was only a given a charge of up to 80 per cent battery capacity. That was the confidence Zeekr had of the 009 completing the Klang Valley-Penang drive on one battery charge.
Since that was sole aim of this drive, it was done under controlled conditions with a lead car determining the pace at which we could drive. That meant we drove mostly at legal highway speeds, between 90km/h (where applicable) and mainly 110km/h. We had a lunch stopover in Ipoh to break the journey.
At that point in Ipoh, our Zeekr 009 was one of two with a range reading of under 250km. Although we still had about 170 kilometres more to cover before reaching our hotel at Batu Ferringhi, Penang, the Zeekr people weren’t confident we could do it with the range that was available to us. As such, our 009 was sent for a quick charge to gain about 10-per cent more range or almost 260km.
Needless to say, we were a bit disappointed not to complete the run on one charge as we believed we could have done it. When we arrived at the Batu Ferringhi hotel, our Zeekr 009 range reading was 104km while the range for those that didn’t require a quick charge had readings of about 50 to 90km. Given that scenario, we were even more convinced that we could have done it on a single charge, instead of two.
On the return drive the following day, we had a range of 480km, again the result of an 80-per cent battery charge. However, we were left to cover the drive back at our own speed and we tried to maintain a consistent pace. When we arrived at our favourite rest stop in Tapah, the range reading was above 250km, which could easily cover the 180km distance to 101 Puchong Mall.
Just for the sake of comparison, we decided to do a 30-minute 80-per cent charge. There was an option in charging points at the Tapah rest stop and we chose the ones at the Shell Station. As we usually spend about 25-30 minutes for a break in journey here in ICE car drives, the stop duration was more or less the same.
The positive note is that more charge points are being located at major rest stops to allay this EV range anxiety for long distance drives. The only setback is inconsiderate ICE car owners who park at the charging bays as they were near the Tapah rest stop entrances. However, we didn’t encounter that, either at the public charge points or the ones at the Shell station.
Zeekr 009 refresher
The Zeekr 009 was launched in December 2024 and this luxuriously appointed 009 is aimed at a potential customer base that also go for the Toyota Alphard and Vellfire, which are ICE MPVs. With more than 400 Zeekr 009 MPVs sold since then, it has definitely gained traction among this targeted buyer group.
Zeekr says that 40 per cent of the sales were to corporate customers and most of the buyers have more than one vehicle in the garage, among them the Toyota Alphard/Vellfire. The Zeekr 009 is available in three colours; Phantom Black, Electric Blue and Crystal White. It is said the buyers’ choice between the black and white colours was about 50:50.
In vehicle dimensions, the 009 is clearly bigger than the Toyotas. The Zeekr 009 has a body length of 5209mm, width of 2024mm and height of 1812mm. The wheelbase is 3205mm and its ground clearance is 142mm. Being a big EV MPV also means greater kerb weight, thanks to the heavy battery as it tips the scales at 2870kg.
Zeekr’s description of the 009 as a Tech-Luuxry MPV refers to its extensive range of ‘intelligent’ features. On getting onto the driver’s seat, we found that we had to select the function on the 15.5-inch centre touchscreen display – this was for door mirror viewing and steering wheel column height and reach. That is just one of the many items that could be selected and adjusted.
Another one is the music zoning system. The driver and front passenger could listen to their favourite singer via the headrest speakers while those at the rear could listen to others via the rear speakers. An interesting item is the Intelligent Sound Shield that is activated via the fold-down 17-inch rear screen. This feature garbles what is said or discussed at the rear as heard from the front headrest speakers. That means business deals or personal chat could be carried without the driver and front passenger hearing it. Yes, we tried this too and it worked.
Zeekr says the 009 is built on a SEA or Sustainable Experience Architecture, which encompasses a modular system, comprehensive safety measures, high performance and Enhanced User Experience. ‘Ultimate luxury and intelligence’ are two key areas embodied in this design approach.
The former is reflected in the soft Nappa leather for the upholstery, 10mm Dreamy Rebound Sponge and massage and ventilated seats for greater comfort. The Zeekr 009 is available with six or seven seats configuration. For the rear passenger sitting behind the front passenger, he could travel sleeping on a ‘bed’ with the Eames Lounge Chair mode.
What this feature does when activated is partly collapsed the front passenger seat to provide a foldable foot pad. The electric leg support and recliner footrest complete the Business Class style comfort. However, if there is someone sitting in the front passenger seat, the system couldn’t be activated. We tried that and found it to be so.
The ‘Ultimate Intelligence’ is in the 17-inch rear entertainment screen we mentioned earlier. It is featured with Dual Qualcomm 8295 system, OLED (Organic Light-Emitting Diode) and 3K resolution that is perfect for watching movies on the go. Or do videoconferencing for business consultation, using a rear camera that is provided as standard item.
This is complemented by a 30-speaker Yamaha sound system with 3000W peak power and 7.1.9 sound channel system. The ‘9’ refers to the nine speakers in the ceiling. Another part of this Intelligence package is the AR-HUD (head up display) that features almost a 36-inch screen with 1280x640 resolution. This is easily our favourite as we could drive without taking our eyes off the road as all the relevant information is displayed clearly on the front windscreen in good detail.
Zeekr also includes the LED (light emitting diode) headlamps in the Intelligence system. It is described as Intelligent Matrix LED projection headlamps; there are 24 LEDs per headlamp and 24 dimming zones. The DRL (daytime running lights) are distinctive in the upside down ‘U’ design that stands the Zeekr 009 out from the crowd.
The Ultimate Performance area refers to its power source; two electric motors that deliver 450kW (612hp) and 693Nm. This strong power notes easily pushes the Zeekr 009 from 0 to 100km/h in 4.5 seconds, amazingly fast for an MPV that weighs almost 2900kg. We certainly felt the ready uptake of electric power during our drives for quick overtaking and cruising faster than legal limits.
The battery is a 116kWh CTP NMC unit that could be charged from 10 to 80 per cent in 30 minutes. If fully charged, its range is 582km (WTLP – World Harmonised Light Vehicles Test Procedure), which is almost as good as the Mercedes-Benz EQS that we drove from Petaling Jaya to Penang in late 2023.
The Zeekr 009 is an all-wheel drive (AWD) with a Lightning Switch Intelligent AWD system. It could apportion electric power between front wheel drive and all-wheel drive in 0.45-second ‘instant switch’ according to road and drive conditions. This is to achieve optimal energy consumption so that more range could be enjoyed.
It has a dual air chamber suspension with a double wishbone front and MacPherson struts and aluminium multi-links at the rear. It uses a front facing camera to check out the approaching road surface and condition, and adjust the suspension damping to achieve an ‘Intelligent Magic Carpet’ ride. That is one enjoyable aspect of the Zeekr 009 during the run, easily one of the most comfortable rides we have experienced.
Its safety standards are also high with what Zeekr describes as 720-degree all-round safety armour. Interesting details include the double A-pillar design, 70-litre side curtain airbags that is 2.7 metres long (covering just about everyone on board), 10-gang battery crush surface, 13-tonne roof load protection and single piece die cast aluminium platform.
The battery crush protection is relevant in preventing battery damage in a collision; likewise, the roof load protection with which you might be spared being flattened by a prime-mover truck landing on your Zeekr 009. That is certainly driving or travelling in top comfort with equally assuring personal safety in mind. There is also a long list of safe driving assistant features.
The Zeekr 009 is very attractively priced for its target market buyers at RM349,000 for the seven-seat model and RM359,000 for the six-seat variant. It is much cheaper than the Vellfire and Alphard, and very competitive against the reconditioned Toyota models that virtually flood the premium MPV market here.
With the Zeekr 009, you enjoy a significant advantage over the recond Vellfire and Alphard as it comes with a five-year or 150,000km vehicle warranty, an eight-year or 160,000km battery warranty and two years of free connected services. It is little wonder that the Zeekr 009 is finding favour among its target clientele.
