Electric cars: how China wants to conquer the European market

Its ultra-modern 130-hectare factory, located in Ningbo, China, houses thousands of robots and 3,000 workers to produce one vehicle per minute, on average. Welcome to Zeekr, a Chinese high-end electric car brand, which was the only one to accept the TF1 filming in order to discuss the subject of the sale of Chinese electric automobiles in Europe.

A particularly sensitive subject, because on October 29 the European Commission adopted a new regulation establishing additional customs duties on battery-powered cars imported from China. The amount of this surcharge, which is added to the 10% tax already in place, varies depending on the manufacturer and can go up to 35%.

“We will gain customers”

So, to remain competitive and continue its conquest of the Old Continent, Zeekr has worked hard. The Chinese manufacturer has increased its workforce by a third in one year, relied on artificial intelligence and equipped itself with state-of-the-art equipment. One of the latest machines to join its production line, for example, makes it possible to manufacture a single part in less than two minutes when before, it took at least five hours to assemble all the parts that make it up.

“We hope to quickly penetrate the European market. We also have a lot of French people who come to visit the factory”underlines Chunli Zhao, vice-president of Zeekr. Before adding: “I believe that regardless of taxes, we will win customers with our excellent quality.”

Massive public subsidies

A quality which also makes the authorities proud, because for Beijing, it is also a way of asserting its technological superiority over Westerners. This is why the government has been subsidizing the sector with billions of dollars since 2009. Massive public subsidies which create unfair competition, Brussels ruled.

This aid is above all a means of artificially reducing the price of Chinese vehicles. An entry-level Zeekr model costs, for example, 19,300 euros in China, while it is sold for more than double that in Europe. But China's success is mainly due to know-how: that of batteries, which represent up to 70% of the total cost of a vehicle.

A battery factory under close surveillance

Zeekr actually built its own battery factory just a year ago. This treasure is well guarded: the TF1 8 p.m. news team was unable to interview anyone on camera, and only had access to a few stages of production. The recipe is in any case the pride of the company. “Before, it was the Germans who taught us how to make cars. Today, it’s our turn to take that place”rejoices an employee, who testifies anonymously.

The batteries designed by Zeekr are made up of cells manufactured at a breakneck pace: 24 are designed per minute. You need 150 to 200 for an entire battery. These models are called “lithium-iron-phosphate batteries” or “LFP batteries” and do not contain nickel or cobalt. They are therefore more environmentally friendly. “Chinese batteries are better than those from foreign countries, especially thanks to their structure”says an employee.

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Zeekr batteries have up to 700 km of range on a single charge. They are therefore among the most efficient on the market. China supplies nearly two-thirds of the planet's batteries; enough to maintain its place as world number 1 in electricity.