- The 7X SUV is among the first EVs to receive Zeekr’s latest battery tech
- Fast-charging can add over 300 miles of range in minutes
- Journalists have been experiencing the rapid top-ups first hand
Zeekr revealed details of its next-generation ‘Golden Battery’ technology late in 2023, when it promised 500km (around 310 miles) of range in a mere 15 minutes.
Well, that battery technology has now been fitted to its latest EV model – the 7X SUV – and the performance of its packs has surpassed expectations, managing to charge from 10-80% in nine minutes 45 seconds.
Kyle Connor, host of the YouTube channel Out Of Spec Reviews, recently got hands-on with the 7X SUV, where he drained the 75kWh lithium-ion phosphate (LFP) battery down to zero before topping it up from one of Zeekr’s in-house public charging outlets.
The outlet was rated at a heady 840kW, which far eclipses the 350-400kW stations the rest of the world is only just starting to roll out.
A video from Connor shows the 7X SUV pulling 200kW at the very early stages of the charging session, quickly ramping up 400kW as the battery reaches a 10% state-of-charge (SoC). The outlet then goes on to hit a peak of 460kW, before leveling off to 400kW for the remainder of the session.
Overall, a completely full charge, which takes the battery from 0-100% (something most EV owners never do) was indicated to take just 19 minutes.
Most EV owners understand that optimum charging happens at around the 20-80% range, where batteries can accept the fastest flow of electrons and, in this case, the 10-80% charge was complete in around nine minutes and 45 seconds. That’s not too far off refueling an equivalent gas car.
More importantly for customers, the Zeekr 7X SUV was managing to add around 21 miles of range for every minute of charging, which is fantastic news for those who simply need to add some extra miles to get to their destination. Theoretically, just four minutes of charging would add almost 85 miles.
This is made possible by several things, the first being Zeekr’s impressive fast-charging network, which it says is primed to roll out to other key markets, such as Australia, Thailand and other Asia/Pacific regions, according to Motor 1.
The second is the LFP battery technology itself that, unlike most rivals, supports a 5.5 C-rate. It’s complex, but that essentially means it can charge or discharge at 5.5 times its total capacity per hour without exploding.
Inside EVs says it performed its own tests on a Tesla Model S, which briefly charged at a peak of 2.5 C, for comparison.
To compound matters, most of Tesla’s current line-up (including the refreshed Model Y) is limited to 250kW charging speeds, despite the Tesla Supercharger network now being able to deliver up to to 325kW.
Analysis: Trade tariffs could deny the rest of the world this tech
Both the Biden administration and President Trump have come down hard on Chinese EVs, imposing steep trade tariffs and even the prospect of an outright ban.
The UK and much of Europe has also imposed similar measures in order to level the playing field for its flagging domestic automakers.
But the fact is, China is simply lightyears ahead when it comes to battery and charging innovation. This most recent demonstration of Zeekr’s charging prowess halves the time it takes to charge a Porsche Taycan, for example, which was already an impressive figure.
Of course, part of the puzzle is developing a robust charging infrastructure that can cope with this level of output, but companies like Zeekr, as well as several other Geely-owned brands, have already said they will invest in infrastructure to ensure customers get the best experience.
Zeekr, for example, already has over 800 ultra-fast charging stations installed in China, with plans to continually expand that number over the coming months.
With Tesla continuing to disappoint with a lack of clear future product development, while legacy automakers remain indecisive about an EV future, us consumers are craving rival products that can compete (and excel) where technology is concerned.
But with China being denied a seat at the table, it looks like the rest of the world will be forced to wait.
