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In less than two years Zeekr has gone from a complete unknown to a real contender in the Australian electric vehicle 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 largely powered by the 7X midsize SUV.
But behind this heading lies the more meaningful detail. There are already more than 3,000 vehicles on the water that have been effectively advertised.
This is not just a demand. It suggests real momentum and increasing brand appeal.
More importantly, this momentum is not driven by the product alone, but is increasingly supported by growing confidence in the ownership experience behind it.
We sat down with Frank Li, managing director of Zeekr Australia, to understand how it happened so quickly.
Aftersales: Where Zeekr invests in the long term
If a product attracts people, aftersales ultimately determines whether they stay.
Things often fail for emerging brands in Australia. Trust is hard to gain and easy to lose, and ownership experience is what sticks. It’s what turns early adopters into advocates – or not.
“It’s always easy to say we’ll give you a seven-year guarantee,” says Mr. Li. “But the difficult thing is how to deal with it when something actually happens.”
It is through this lens that Zeekr approaches the market. Aftersales is not a support function; It is central to how the brand should be judged.
Instead of reacting as volume arrives, Zeekr builds its after-sales infrastructure in parallel with demand to scale with the brand’s rapid growth.
The focus is deliberately on practice: parts availability, repair deadlines and what happens when a customer no longer has a car.
If Zeekr can deliver on its promise, it won’t be just another fast-growing electric vehicle brand. It will be one that deserves its place in the premium conversation.
Eliminate the friction
It starts with sharing – because without them, nothing else really matters.
From day one, Zeekr has invested in its own parts operation in Melbourne and stored the majority of components locally to help customers scale the brand.
The goal is an initial occupancy rate of 98 percent – which, in simple terms, means fewer delays, fewer frustrated owners and quicker cars back on the road. For car owners, this means fewer waiting times, fewer repeat visits and far less uncertainty when a vehicle comes into the workshop.
And in the rare event that a part is not immediately available, there is a clear emergency solution.
“If it’s urgent, we can fly it to Australia within 10 days,” Mr Li said.
It’s a practical approach and one that shows Zeekr understands that customer service isn’t about promises, it’s about keeping customers moving.
Behind the scenes, these local operations are supported by direct technical channels into Zeekr’s global engineering network, enabling more complex issues to be resolved more quickly 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 without a car when you need it.
If a car cannot be returned within a reasonable timeframe – whether due to a warranty issue or late parts delivery – Zeekr will step in with a replacement vehicle within 48 hours. It’s a simple idea, but one that has a direct impact on real-world ownership.
The brand is preparing to launch a car warranty on service credits to ensure customers are not left stranded when their vehicle is off the road.
“We are about to launch. The idea is simple: our customers should not be left behind,” says Mr Li.
In a market where rental car availability is often inconsistent or non-existent, the promise is a useful differentiator. It directly addresses the glitches that turn minor problems into major frustrations and redefines customer service as a support system rather than an inconvenience.
The same thinking extends beyond just rental vehicles, with pick-up and drop-off plans designed to minimize disruption and save customers the need to focus their day on a workshop visit.
Building the network before the surge
What’s behind it is just as important: the service network.
Mr. Li describes this as a three-tiered approach that ensures Zeekr has enough facilities and technicians, and the “Zee-do” approach ensures the entire experience is consistently top-notch.
Zeekr isn’t waiting for demand to catch up. The company is currently establishing a nationwide presence and has a growing network of authorized service partners to provide customers with convenient access to qualified support.
These are not just any workshops. Zeekr selectively works with established, OEM-approved repair shops – operators with proven capabilities and a good reputation – to ensure the experience is of a consistent standard from day one.
In Sydney, this is anchored by two dedicated service centers in Parramatta and the North Coast, supported by a growing national network of authorized service partners in Brisbane, Melbourne and other key markets.
There is also a clear focus on technician training and standardized processes to provide a consistent owner experience regardless of location.
This includes ongoing investment in training and certification of technicians to ensure capacity scales alongside the brand’s rapid growth in the Australian market.
There is also a more transparent approach to building trust.
“We want customers to challenge us,” says Mr. Li.
Owners are encouraged to tour parts shops, inspect inventory and ask questions – a level of openness that is still relatively uncommon in the industry.
Close the loop with repairs
Additionally, authorized repair and auto body networks are established to eliminate friction from what are often the most stressful points of vehicle ownership: collision repairs and insurance claims.
For customers, it brings clarity to an often frustrating process. Instead of juggling insurers, appraisers and repair shops, everything is coordinated through a network that understands the vehicle inside and out.
Repairs are carried out by trained technicians using genuine parts and factory-tested procedures, reducing the risk of delays, rework or compromised quality. The result is a quicker return to the road, fewer handovers and greater confidence that the car will be repaired properly.
It’s a clear philosophy: minimize disruption, eliminate uncertainty and get customers back behind the wheel as quickly as possible.
Built by customers
It’s also clear that Zeekr is trying to build this brand with customers, not just for them.
“We listen to our customers and provide feedback frequently and fairly quickly,” says Mr. Li.
This feedback loop already influences the product. The 7X Black Edition, for example, was created directly from the owner’s input.
“They said if the wheels were painted black it would look sharper. And then we could move forward very quickly.”
On the surface, it’s a small change – but it points to a development process that’s far more responsive than most.
This same mindset is reflected in the ownership experience. There is a strong focus on transparency, from clear communication to repair timelines to structured customer care processes designed to provide a consistent experience.
There is also a dedicated on-site call center team based on a digital-first approach – including the Zeekr app, which allows customers to provide feedback directly.
This digital layer extends even further into ownership, with over-the-air software updates and connected diagnostics allowing customers to stay informed and, in some cases, resolve issues without the need for a traditional service visit.
And more importantly, there is openness about where work still needs to be done.
“We know we have bottlenecks, but the key is that we recognize them and improve,” says Mr Li.
It’s a simple philosophy – but one that suggests Zeekr is more interested in getting things right over time than in pretending it already has.
Not just another EV brand
Zeekr doesn’t chase around for the sake of volume. It shapes how it wants to be perceived.
In a segment long defined by BMW and Mercedes-Benz and recently shaken up by Tesla, Zeekr is carving out a position of its own. Technology with a really premium advantage.
“I would say we are both,” says Mr. Li. “Tesla is a technology brand. BMW is a premium luxury brand. We position ourselves as a technology luxury brand.”
It’s a pitch that lands. Buyers are starting to see Zeekr as something different. You get the innovation you expect from an EV-first brand, coupled with a more considered and tactile feel than some established players.
This positioning is also reinforced beyond the product itself, with a clear focus on delivering a premium ownership experience from day one.
“We don’t compare, we create,” says Mr. Li. “When we design this car, we don’t want to compare ourselves with anyone. There is no scale. It’s quite original.”
This trust is supported by Geely Holding Group. Zeekr stands alongside Volvo Cars, Polestar, Lotus, Smart, Lynk & Co, LEVC and Farizon. This is not just about shared ownership. It is an integrated ecosystem.
Volvo brings safety to the depths. Lotus contributes its driving and handling know-how. Polestar expands the possibilities of EV architecture and performance. At the same time, Zeekr’s Sustainable Experience Architecture (SEA) platform is already being used across the group.
“The workforce moves, the team moves. We all work together,” says Mr. Li. “The result is building a brand based on a deep pool of skills, rather than chasing a direct competitor.”
MORE: Discover the Zeekr showroom
