Zeekr 7X achieves 21-miles-per-minute charging with ‘Golden Battery’
The Zeekr 7X SUV has claimed the title for the world’s fastest-charging SUV, after charging from 10%-80% in nine minutes, 45 seconds.
Kyle Connor, the host of the YouTube channel Out of Spec Reviews recently drained the 7X’s 75kWh lithium-ion phosphate (LFP) battery to zero, and re-charged the car to 100% using one of Zeekr’s public charging stations in Chengdu, China.
Unlike charge points across Europe and the United States which generally top out at around 350-400kW, the unit used for the Zeekr test operates at up to 840kW.
Connor’s video showed the Zeekr draw 200kW during the early stage of charging, and hit 400kW for most of the 20%-80% range. The outlet hit a 460kW peak, and levelled back out to 400kW for the remainder of the session. Comparatively, Tesla’s Supercharger network is limited to a maximum of 325kW and Ionity chargers operate at up to 350kW.
The full 0-100% charge took just 19 minutes, and the 10%-80% charge preferred by the majority of EV drivers took nine minutes, 45 seconds; the equivalent of adding 1,270 miles of range per-hour.
The figures mean that the Zeekr X7 can add around 21 miles of range per minute of charging. Alongside the chargepoint’s power, the charge was made possible by the 7X’s LFP ‘Golden Battery’.
In 2023, the Chinese manufacturer announced that its ‘Golden Battery’ could add around 310 miles of range in 15 minutes thanks to its 800V electrical architecture and according to Zeekr’s parent company Geely, “newly developed materials,” and “simplified structural design”.
Unlike its rivals, Zeekr’s ‘Golden Battery’ supports a 5.5 C-rate, meaning it can charge or discharge at 5.5 times its total capacity without exploding. In comparison, the Tesla Model S has a charging rate of 2.5 C.
The ‘Golden Battery’ is also available as an option on Zeekr’s 007 sedan, and could be made available on other Geely-owned brands including Polestar, Volvo, Lotus, and Smart in the future.
In December, Zeekr launched the 7X configurator in Europe ahead of the car’s launch this year. Prices start at €55,990 and reach €62,990 for the Performance AWD variant. There is no indication if Zeekr will bring the 7X to the UK.