MOSCOW - Sales of Zeekr electric vehicles have shot up in Russia in the last year, putting Chinese carmakers ahead of local competition in Russia's small but rapidly expanding electric vehicle sector.
Russian carmakers sold fewer than 4,000 new EVs in that time, while 1.28 million passenger cars were sold overall. Zeekr's official entry into the Russian market would boost growth, said Vadim Merzlikin, marketing director for a dealership that sells Zeekr models, but macroeconomic factors are also key.Most buyers are wealthier than the average Russian, with premium cars the only widely available category of EV. As many as 40% of EV owners have charging facilities at home, Merzlikin said.Russia's Evolute i-Space, a comparable model made by private firm Motorinvest, costs 3 million roubles.
Even with a standoffish approach to Russia, Zeekr is beginning to dominate. Only around 2,000 Evolute EVs and 1,000 Moskvich EVs were sold in the last 12 months. "Chinese brands have conquered our Russian market very quickly," he said, "replacing the departing Japanese, Koreans, Germans, Americans and French."