Geely subsidiary Zeekr is busy testing a minivan prototype in China that closely resembles the 2022 M-Vision Concept. According to Car News China, the vehicle is slated to complement the autonomous taxi fleet of Waymo USA later this year.
The minivan is around 4.6 meters long and wears a wrap that nonetheless reveals some important details,
such as a slim LED strip between the headlights. This strip is called Zeekr
Stargate and has already premiered on the automaker’s 007 sedan. It comprises
1,711 light diodes and can be extensively customized. The company claims that
designing it cost it more than a billion Yuan, which is a touch above US$ 140,000.
For the time being, the minivan is known
under the provisional model designation ‘CM2E’. It runs on Geely’s Sustainable
Experience Architecture (SEA) also used in Ji Yue, Lotus, Polestar, Radar,
Smart and Volvo cars. Aside from that, the MPV has a fairly short hood, short
overhangs and sliding doors. It is lacking many of the autopilot sensors that
the M-Vision Concept debuted with, though. As such, it may be a regular version
designed for the Chinese domestic market with a steering wheel and pedals,
rather than the previously announced Waymo version.
All technical specifications remain to be
revealed. Rumor has it that the Zeekr CM2E will utilize a single electric motor
built by VREMT (another Geely subsidiary) and a battery pack designed with some
assistance from CATL.
