Rarely, if ever, has a corporate entity employed a maxim as ambitious as when Pinocchio endeavoured to persuade himself of his humanity, that he is a real boy, while confined to his wooden form. This parallel finds resonance in the present day as Volvo adopts a similar tragic strategy to persuade the public that the Zeekr 009 is not just an automobile but a genuine embodiment of Volvo’s essence. The Zeekr 009 is is an all-electric minivan made by Volvo’s quartermasters Geely.
Zeekr forms part of Geely’s portfolio of premium luxury automotive brands. The Zeekr 009 is a pure electric minivan built for the Chinese market and will be repurposed and sold in Europe under Geely’s Volvo brand. That is to say, the Zeekr 009 will be rebranded in Europe as the Volvo EM90.
In essence, Volvo’s task will revolve around refining and retrimming the interior and introducing a redesigned grille adorned with the Volvo logo, accompanied by a new set of headlights featuring Volvo’s signature Thor’s Hammer style. The interior will be mostly based on the Zeekr 009, featuring a 10.2-inch digital driver’s screen and a 15.4-inch central LCD touchscreen.
The Zeekr 009 was first unvield in August 2022 and is built on the Geely Sustainable Experience Architecture 1 platform (SEA) designed exclusively for electric vehicles. This very platform serves as the underpinning for the Lotus Eletre and the Polestar 5. In China, the Zeekr 009 retails from a starting price of $75,000.
The Zeekr 009 is powered by a dual motor drivetrain outputing of 400kW (544hp) and a substantial 686Nm (506ft-lbs) of torque. The 116kWh battery pack offers a range of 380 miles and is fast charge enabled, a superfast recharge from 10% to 80% takes just 28 minutes.
Volvo has studiously not revealed the EM90 in all its 009 glory deciding to tease its audience with a mere glimpse of the roof. The complete unveiling is anticipated for its global premiere on November 12, 2023. While Volvo is doing its best to upsell the Zeekr 009 as a fully independent Volvo the EM90 will never be a real boy because it will always be a real Zeekr 009.
