Russian EV market grows 350% with Zeekr at the forefront

Sales of Zeekr electric vehicles have surged in Russia over the past year, propelling Chinese automakers ahead of local competitors in the nation’s burgeoning electric vehicle (EV) sector. Despite the absence of an official presence, Zeekr has led the charge, showcasing a remarkable increase in sales.

Chinese car brands now dominate more than half of Russia’s car market, a shift that followed the withdrawal of Western competitors after Russia’s military actions in Ukraine in February 2022. This vacuum allowed Chinese companies to step in with their advanced technology and expertise.

While Europe and the United States are cautious about Chinese influence in the EV industry, Russia has embraced Chinese brands to bolster its automobile sector. From May 2023 to April 2024, over 20,500 new EVs were sold in Russia, marking a 350% increase from the previous year. Chinese brands accounted for more than half of these sales, according to data from the Russian analytical agency Autostat.

Russian manufacturers, in contrast, sold fewer than 4,000 new EVs in the same period, out of a total of 1.28 million passenger cars sold overall. The growth of the EV market in Russia has been slowed by the lack of charging infrastructure and the country’s reliance on its abundant oil and gas resources. However, the past year saw more EVs sold than in the entire previous decade.

Zeekr, a premium brand owned by Chinese automaker Geely, has sold over 8,000 cars since June last year, despite not having official representation in Russia. Irina Frank, head of the Frank-Auto dealership in Moscow, noted that interest in EVs is growing as more charging stations are established, consumers become aware of fuel savings, and maintenance services improve.

“In China, more than 30% of people use electric cars. For us, it is still less than 2%,” Frank told Reuters. “My opinion is that we will reach more than 25% by 2035.”

The official entry of Zeekr into the Russian market would further accelerate this growth, according to Vadim Merzlikin, marketing director for a dealership that sells Zeekr models. However, he emphasized that broader economic factors will also play a crucial role in this expansion.

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