The Tesla Model Y and Zeekr 7X are direct rivals, but the model grades buyers choose most couldn’t be any more different.
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More customers choose the top-of-the-range Zeekr 7X Performance than both rear-wheel-drive variants combined, as sales of the electric SUV reach new heights in Australia.
A record 973 Zeekr 7Xs were reported as sold in Australia last month, placing it as the country’s third-best-selling vehicle, and ahead of the 822 Tesla Model Y sales published over the same period.
Zeekr Australia head of digital Andrew Stamatakis told Drive the company is “growing our order bank faster than we're emptying it,” and is limited in the number of cars it can hand over.
“We are only limited at the moment by physically being able to deliver cars in a month,” he said.
“We're working on bringing more dealer partners on board – by the end of this year we're going to have 25 dealers – and we're looking to make sure [they’re] in the right areas. We're constantly looking at how we can deliver more cars to customers.”
Stamatakis said – at the time of his interview with Drive in April – wait times sat at about two to three months, if customers are “flexible with colour”.
In contrast to Tesla, which sells more entry-level Model Ys than any other car, the most expensive Zeekr 7X – the $72,900 plus on-road costs Performance all-wheel drive (AWD) – is the most popular.
“Performance by a long way. People love the Performance,” Stamatakis said, confirming “the majority” of orders are for the flagship.
“It's giving you supercar [performance] for $72,000 plus on-roads.”
For context, Model Y sales so far this year are split between 62 per cent for the entry-level Rear-Wheel Drive, 32 per cent Long Range AWD, and 6 per cent Performance AWD.
In another break from tradition – as Australian customers, especially those purchasing family-focused vehicles, typically favour neutral shades – there is strong demand for the Forest Green colour.
“It varies state-to-state. We're seeing a lot of uptake in the green colour; I mean, it's my personal favourite.
“But the Black Edition sold out near instantly, so we're seeing that people love blacked out cars as well. [The most popular colour is] between black and green.”
Zeekr reported 1006 cars as sold locally last month, its first time in four-digit territory, helped by a surge in demand as a result of high fuel prices.
“We were extremely busy before what happened in the Middle East. Now I would say every other verb to describe it; we are spectacularly busy. It's a good problem to have,” said Stamatakis.
“Our customers are patient. Our dealer partners are incredible. We're seeing upticks of over 250 per cent in inquiry month-on-month [mid-April vs mid-March]. Our order banks are incredibly high.
“We know it won't be forever, but what's exciting is that more people who would never have considered an EV are now considering an EV.
“It's cheaper to run, it's more efficient, it's more luxurious, it's priced well, so we think that the demand that we generate month will still be there after it goes back to pre-war normals.
“But right now, we're absolutely excited by um by what's happening in the market right now.”
Stamatakis estimated a 100 per cent increase in orders – at the time of the interview – as a result of the surge, as a “conservative” figure.
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Alex Misoyannis has been writing about cars since 2017, when he started his own website, Redline. He contributed for Drive in 2018, before joining CarAdvice in 2019, becoming a regular contributing journalist within the news team in 2020. Cars have played a central role throughout Alex’s life, from flicking through car magazines at a young age, to growing up around performance vehicles in a car-loving family. Highly Commended - Young Writer of the Year 2024 (Under 30) Rising Star Journalist, 2024 Winner Scoop of The Year - 2024 Winner
