Chinese electric car brand ZEEKR faced complaints from car owners as both automatic and manual doors could not be opened, leaving them trapped inside the vehicle for 10 minutes.
ZEEKR, aiming to set a record for the fastest listing in the history of new energy vehicle companies, went public in the United States in May with a starting price of 269,000 yuan as a high-end electric car brand launched by Geely Holding Group.
However, a ZEEKR 001 car owner in Hefei, Anhui Province discovered that the doors of the vehicle could not be unlocked. Despite the system showing that the door was open, it only had a small gap. This malfunction left passengers unable to exit the vehicle.
According to a video circulating online, on May 24th, the car owner tried to unlock the door by manipulating the door lock on the driver’s side multiple times without success. The passenger on the front seat also attempted to open the door from their side with similar results.
The video was posted on the short video platform Douyin in China and quickly went viral after its release.
Media outlet “Xiangguo Business Review” reported on Monday, quoting Mr. Yu, the person involved, who said, “My car is a ZEEKR 001. I found that the door unlock button on the panel was not functioning on Friday when I was heading home from work. I didn’t pay much attention to it at the time, just took a video of the issue and sent it to customer service.”
“After parking the car at home, I realized that even manually pulling the door wouldn’t open it. As it is supposed to open automatically with a gentle pull, there was no response. After managing to create a small gap, the door remained locked, rendering it impossible to open.”
“I later unlocked the door using the central control screen and rolled down the window from the outside to release the lock, but I was trapped for over ten minutes.”
On Monday, ZEEKR officially responded to the incident of a ZEEKR car owner being locked inside the vehicle for 10 minutes on May 24th.
The company stated that upon inspection, the mechanical unlocking function inside the vehicle was functioning properly.
ZEEKR mentioned the need for further checks on the electronic unlocking function but stated, “Since the user did not agree to a dismantling inspection, we cannot accurately determine the truth of the matter.”
ZEEKR explained that apart from electronic unlocking, the ZEEKR 001 is designed with a mechanical unlocking function. By fully pulling the interior door handle and simultaneously pushing the door, either the electronic automatic door or the manual door can be opened by triggering the mechanical unlocking mechanism.
The official ZEEKR account warned against spreading misinformation without understanding the specific features of the ZEEKR 001 model, as it may mislead consumers and have a negative impact.
ZEEKR was listed on the New York Stock Exchange on May 10th, issuing 21 million American depositary shares at $21 per share.
Reports from Chinese media noted that ZEEKR set a new record for the fastest listing in the history of new energy vehicles, from the brand’s unveiling in April 2021 to a successful IPO in just three years and one month.
After the incident, Mr. Yu contacted ZEEKR customer service, and the aftersales head of ZEEKR in Hefei called him back, instructing him to bring the car to the store for inspection on Saturday, May 25th.
On Saturday morning, despite unsuccessful attempts to open the car door initially, Mr. Yu eventually managed to open the door on the third try, and the door functioned normally afterward.
He explained that even at the 4S store, they could not replicate the issue with the door not opening, but it was detected that the vehicle had abnormalities, such as being unable to lock.
Mr. Yu’s concern was the vehicle’s inability to unlock itself. The suggested solution from ZEEKR was to wait for the arrival of spare parts for repairs.
On Sunday, ZEEKR customer service publicly addressed the matter, stating, “Our staff is currently handling this issue and can involve headquarters personnel to assist with the process.”
As of Sunday evening, Mr. Yu reported to “Xiangguo Business Review” that no ZEEKR official had contacted him for follow-up.
He shared his experience, mentioning that the aftersales and repairs for ZEEKR vehicles in Hefei are handled through a partnership with Lynk & Co. “I have always gone to Lynk & Co for aftersales… ZEEKR did not contact me directly; it was Lynk & Co who spoke with me.”
Over the two years since purchasing the car, Mr. Yu has had to repair it numerous times for various issues. Previously, there was an incident where someone outside the car could not open the door to access the interior.
“On the day of pickup, the car door was already misaligned, but they said it could be adjusted, so I took the car. Less than two months after purchasing, there appeared to be welding slag on the skylight ceiling, so they had to remove the entire roof to clean it,” Mr. Yu recounted.
“I also want to warn other ZEEKR 001 car owners that similar issues with electric doors may likely recur,” he cautiously added.
“If the manufacturer cannot clearly inform me that ‘the mechanical lock cannot be opened,’ then I might have to bear the consequences alone. Will it take a serious incident or a loss of life for ZEEKR to take action?” Mr. Yu questioned in response to “Xiangguo Business Review.”