ZEEKR to move EU sales, marketing office to Netherlands, grow staff by EOY [Update]

Young and promising Chinese EV brand ZEEKR announced it is moving some of its current European staff in Gothenburg, Sweden to a new spot closer to the action in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Following the move, ZEEKR plans to grow its staff overseas and it continues to expand into new markets.

Update 10/13: Electrek spoke with ZEEKR, who pointed out that the Automotive News Europe story originally cited contained some misunderstandings about ZEEKR’s move. The company is in fact not moving its headquarters to Amsterdam, but is instead setting up a new head office for sales, marketing, and service. The article below reflects that correction.

ZEEKR is a Geely-owned EV brand that continues to stay relevant on Electrek. While we may or may not see the 001 FR shooting break make its way into Europe as a bonafide competitor to the Tesla Model S, two of ZEEKRs other models have already begun their trek over from China ahead of first deliveries in both Sweden and the Netherlands.

Up until this point, ZEEKR’s EU branch has operated out of Gothenburg near its Geely siblings Volvo, Polestar, and Lynk & CO. I personally paid those companies a visit over the summer and got to see some their EV technology up close.

With public plans to eventually become a top three luxury EV automaker in Europe, ZEEKR is looking to garner new employees from a larger talent pool and will move some of its staff to the Netherlands to help do so.

ZEEKR to call Netherlands new home for EU sales

In speaking with ZEEKR, the reasoning behind is imminent move south in Europe is to attract a deeper talent pool at the international level. The automaker plans to bring 80 of its current staff operating in Sweden to the new footprint which will be stationed in south Amsterdam, near Schiphol airport.

In addition to those top level members of management making the transition from Gothenburg to Amsterdam, ZEEKR shared plans to add additional personnel – employees approximately 100 people before the end of 2023.

While Amsterdam will be now be the main home for its European sales, marketing and services, ZEEKR says it will maintain a steady presence in Gothenburg near the other brands mentioned above. That current Swedish footprint consists of about 1,000 employees at is technical center in addition to another 500 at its styling center.

Deliveries of ZEEKR’s X SUV are scheduled to begin in Sweden and the Netherlands before the end of 2023, followed by Germany in March of 2024.