Chinese EV maker Zeekr to enter Israeli market

Zeekr, a premium electric brand under Geely Holding Group, said on Monday that it will start pre-sales of two of its models in Israel later this year.

The EV maker partnered with Israeli distributor Union Group on Monday. According to their deal, they will set up a sales network in the country and launch the Zeekr brand in the fourth quarter this year.

Pre-sales of Zeekr's 001 sedan and X sport utility vehicle will start in the same quarter and deliveries will follow soon, said the carmaker.

The foray into the Middle Eastern market came days after Zeekr's announcement to enter the European market.

It has started to accept preorders in Europe, with deliveries to begin in the fourth quarter. The first European brick-and-mortar stores will be built in Sweden and the Netherlands, said Zeekr.

Following Sweden and the Netherlands, Zeekr expects to launch its vehicles in other European markets including Denmark, Germany, France and Norway in 2024.

Zeekr is one of the most popular EV makers in China, the world's largest market for electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids.

It now has three models available in the market. Last month, it delivered 10,620 vehicles, up 147 percent year-on-year. Its deliveries in the first half this year reached 42,633 units, up 124 percent from the same period last year.