‘We Are Long-Term Committed In Europe’: Why Tariffs Won’t Scare Zeekr Off

“Are these discussions and regulations coming because we are so successful, or do we have to deal with these things to get success?”

Photo by: Zeekr

By: Mack Hogan

Oct 30, at 11:19am ET

Comment

Western markets have been steadily ratcheting up restrictions on Chinese vehicles. Just a few days before I sat down with Lothar Schupet, the CEO of Zeekr Europe, at the Paris Auto, the ground had shifted again. European and Chinese officials announced a deal to cap Chinese hybrid and plug-in hybrid imports at 350,000 units a year.

For Schupet, it likely didn’t land as welcome news. Zeekr already pays significant tariffs when it brings in its popular EVs like the 7X. Right as the brand is launching its ambitious, 900-horsepower, ultra-luxury, plug-in-hybrid 9X, Continental regulators are throwing up guardrails. But it isn’t likely to scare Zeekr off, at least according to Schupet.

“The question [of the trade environment] is interesting depending on which order you take it," he said in an interview with InsideEVs. "Are these discussions and regulations coming because we are so successful, or do we have to deal with these things to get success? I think it's the first one, that everyone is a little bit scared about what is happening and trying to protect.”

(Full Disclosure: Geely, the parent company of Zeekr, flew me to the Paris Auto Show. The company provided hotel accommodations and some meals.)

This is a fair claim. European auto executives and even national politicians are increasingly alarmed at their industry’s inability to compete with Chinese products in terms of pricing, even despite high tariffs. And for economies that are already struggling with lethargic growth and demographic changes, giving up on such a high-value industry is not palatable. So like American regulators, they seem to be increasingly turning to regulations and tariffs to buy their domestic companies time to catch up.

The 7X is Zeekr's highly popular alternative to the Tesla Model Y. It just got a mid-cycle update that brought sub-11-minute charge times and a new Bosch ADAS system.

Photo by: Andrei Nedelea

This protectionism is obviously not ideal for Schupet or Zeekr. The company is trying to win not only customers but also policymakers, heavily emphasizing its commitment to Europe. It employs design, R&D, and corporate staff in a number of European hubs, and the greater Geely empire has poured billions into the continent. Schupet pointed to the company’s new use of a Bosch advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) in the 7X as evidence that the brand was investing in the local supply chain in addition to its Chinese home operations.

“We have a huge supplier network to our cars from Europe already,” he said. “We are having collaborations everywhere. We have our footprint invested here. We have now 200 dealers growing to even more. So there is a big economy driver coming from us as the brand, which no one should underestimate.”

It’s unclear if those sentiments will carry the day in European capitals. It certainly hasn’t in the U.S., where Chinese cars are all but banned outright. Still, Zeekr’s business is growing rapidly worldwide. Its business in Europe has grown 200% year over year so far in 2026, and it is launching new and cutting-edge products at a rapid clip.

Gallery: Zeekr 9X

Source: Zeekr

The 7X is already a hit, and the 9X is a flagship that German companies just cannot match in terms of feature content or PHEV tech. But the 7X must overcome steep tariffs, and the 9X is now subject to the hybrid cap. The road ahead isn’t easy. But the result is sealed, the CEO says. Zeekr isn’t going anywhere.

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“Regarding the hybrid discussion now, I mean it's still very vague. The regulations are not very clear so far. I cannot put a position or a statement now on how we deal with that. But the EV tariffs have shown to us we will deal with that,” he said. “We are long term committed in Europe, so we are committed to grow further. We have heavily invested, and we will invest further. We will be successful here in Europe. So it's more about collaborating than fighting against each other, because we're all sitting in one boat in the automotive industry.”

Contact the author: Mack.Hogan@InsideEVs.com