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In less than two years, Zeekr has gone from a complete unknown to a genuine contender in Australia’s EV market.
March 2026 marked a turning point. Exclusive VFACTS data due to be released next week shows more than 700 deliveries in a single month, a record for the brand, driven largely by the 7X mid-size SUV.
But the more telling detail sits behind that headline. There are already more than 3000 vehicles on the water that have effectively been spoken for.
That is not just demand. It suggests real momentum, and a level of brand pull that is starting to build.
And importantly, it’s momentum that’s not being driven by product alone, but increasingly underpinned by growing confidence in the ownership experience behind it.
We sat down with Zeekr Australia managing director Frank Li to understand how it has happened so quickly.
Aftersales: Where Zeekr is investing for the long term
If a product draws people in, aftersales is what ultimately decides whether they stay.
For emerging brands in Australia, that is where things tend to fall over. Trust is hard won and easily lost, and the ownership experience is what sticks. It’s what turns early adopters into advocates, or not.
“It’s always easy to say we give you seven years’ warranty,” says Mr Li. “But the hard thing is how you manage it when something actually happens.”
That’s the lens through which Zeekr is approaching the market. Aftersales isn’t a support function; it’s central to how the brand expects to be judged.
Rather than reacting once volume arrives, Zeekr is building its aftersales infrastructure in parallel with demand, designed to scale alongside the brand’s rapid growth.
The focus is deliberately practical: parts availability, repair timelines, and what happens when a customer is left without a car.
If Zeekr can deliver on what it has promised, it won’t just be another fast‑rising EV brand. It’ll be one that earns its place in the premium conversation.
Taking out the friction
It starts with parts – because without them, nothing else really matters.
From day one, Zeekr has invested in a dedicated Melbourne parts operation, holding the bulk of components locally to support customers as the brand scales.
The goal is a 98 per cent first-time fill rate – which, in simple terms, means fewer delays, fewer frustrated owners, and cars back on the road sooner. For car owners, it means less waiting, fewer repeat visits and far less uncertainty once a vehicle enters the workshop.
And for the rare occasions where a part isn’t immediately available, there’s a clear contingency in place.
“If it’s urgent, we can fly it to Australia within 10 days,” says Mr Li.
It’s a practical approach and one that shows Zeekr understands that aftersales isn’t about promises, it’s about keeping customers moving.
Behind the scenes, that local operation is supported by direct technical channels into Zeekr’s global engineering network, allowing more complex issues to be resolved faster and reducing reliance on lengthy escalation processes.
The 48-hour promise
Zeekr’s 48‑hour promise is a clear commitment to eliminating one of the biggest frustrations in modern car ownership: being left without a car when you need it.
If a car can’t be turned around within a reasonable timeframe – whether due to a warranty issue or parts delay – Zeekr will step in with a replacement vehicle within 48 hours. It’s a simple idea, but one that speaks directly to real-world ownership.
The brand is preparing to roll out a service loan car guarantee, ensuring customers aren’t left stranded if their vehicle is off the road.
“We’re very close to launching this. The idea is simple: our customers shouldn’t be left stranded,” says Mr Li.
In a market where loan car availability is often inconsistent, or non-existent, the promise is a meaningful differentiator. It directly addresses the disruption that turns minor issues into major frustrations and reframes aftersales as a support system rather than an inconvenience.
That same thinking extends beyond just loan vehicles, with plans for pick-up and drop-off servicing designed to minimise disruption and remove the need for customers to build their day around a workshop visit.
Building the network before the surge
Just as important is what sits behind it all – the service network.
Mr Li describes this as a three-step approach that ensures Zeekr has enough facilities, enough technicians, and the “Zee-do” approach ensures the whole experience is premium end-to-end.
Zeekr isn’t waiting for demand to catch up. It’s building out a national footprint now, with a growing network of authorised service partners designed to give customers convenient access to qualified support.
These aren’t just any workshops, either. Zeekr is selectively partnering with established, OEM-approved repairers – operators with proven capability and strong reputations – to ensure the experience meets a consistent standard from day one.
In Sydney, that’s anchored by two dedicated service centres in Parramatta and on the North Shore, supported by a growing national network of authorised service partners across Brisbane, Melbourne and other key markets.
Alongside that sits a clear focus on technician training and standardised processes, aimed at delivering a uniform ownership experience regardless of location.
That includes ongoing investment in technician training and certification, ensuring capability scales alongside the brand’s rapid growth in the Australian market.
There’s also a more transparent approach to building trust.
“We want customers to challenge us,” says Mr Li.
Owners are encouraged to tour parts facilities, inspect inventory and ask questions – a level of openness that’s still relatively uncommon in the industry.
Closing the loop with repairs
Authorised repair and body networks are also being established to remove friction at what is often one of the most stressful points of ownership – accident repairs and insurance claims.
For customers, it brings clarity to what can often be a frustrating process. Instead of juggling insurers, assessors and repairers, everything is aligned through a network that understands the vehicle inside and out.
Repairs are carried out by trained technicians using genuine parts and factory‑approved processes, reducing the risk of delays, rework or compromised quality. The result is a faster return to the road, fewer handovers and greater confidence that the car is being repaired properly.
It’s a straightforward philosophy: minimise disruption, remove uncertainty and get customers back behind the wheel as quickly as possible.
Built by customers
It’s also clear Zeekr is trying to build this brand with customers, not just for them.
“We listen to our customers and we give feedback quite often and quite fast,” says Mr Li.
That feedback loop is already influencing the product. The 7X Black Edition, for example, came directly from owner input.
“They said if the wheels were painted black, it would look sharper. And then we can move very fast.”
On the surface, it’s a small tweak – but it speaks to a development process that’s far more responsive than most.
That same mindset carries through to the ownership experience. There’s a strong focus on transparency, from clear communication around repair timelines to structured customer care processes designed to deliver a consistent experience.
There’s also a dedicated local call centre team, backed by a digital-first approach – including the Zeekr app, which allows customers to provide feedback directly.
That digital layer extends further into ownership, with over-the-air software updates and connected diagnostics allowing customers to stay informed and, in some cases, resolve issues without needing a traditional service visit.
And importantly, there’s an openness around what still needs work.
“We know we have shortages, but the critical thing is we realise them and we improve,” says Mr Li.
It’s a simple philosophy – but one that suggests Zeekr is more interested in getting it right over time than pretending it already has.
Not just another EV brand
Zeekr is not chasing volume for the sake of it. It is shaping how it wants to be perceived.
In a segment long defined by BMW and Mercedes-Benz, and more recently shaken up by Tesla, Zeekr is carving out its own position. Technology with a properly premium edge.
“I would say we are both,” says Mr Li. “Tesla is a tech brand. BMW is a premium luxury brand. We position ourselves as tech-luxury.”
It is a pitch that is landing. Buyers are starting to see Zeekr as something different. You get the innovation expected of an EV-first brand, paired with a more considered, more tactile feel than some established players.
That positioning is also being reinforced beyond the product itself, with a clear focus on delivering a premium ownership experience from day one.
“We don’t benchmark, we create,” says Mr Li. “We are not aiming to compare with anyone when we design this car. There is no benchmark. It is quite original.”
That confidence is backed by the Geely Holding Group. Zeekr sits alongside Volvo Cars, Polestar, Lotus, Smart, Lynk & Co, LEVC and Farizon. This is not just shared ownership. It is an integrated ecosystem.
Volvo brings depth in safety. Lotus contributes ride and handling expertise. Polestar adds capability in EV architecture and performance. At the same time, Zeekr’s Sustainable Experience Architecture (SEA) platform is already being deployed across the group.
“The manpower is moving, the team is moving. We all work together,” says Mr Li. “The result is a brand building from a deep pool of capability, rather than chasing a direct rival.”