Bangkok, 17 August 2026 – Building on its recent achievement of officially breaking the Guinness World Records™ title for the “Narrowest gap drifted through by an electric car” at Yas Marina Circuit, United Arab Emirates, a feat that marked a landmark moment for the global electric vehicle industry, ZEEKR has once again stepped forward to demonstrate its technological prowess through the worldwide “ZEEKR ON ICE” event, taking its “IMAGINE BEYOND” philosophy beyond the racing circuit and into the challenge of nature on an ice track in Queenstown, New Zealand. ZEEKR reaffirms that for this brand, every achievement is not an endpoint, but the starting point of an even greater challenge.
The “IMAGINE BEYOND” concept reflects ZEEKR’s culture of relentlessly questioning existing limits, and of never regarding today’s finest product as the final stage of development. From design and vehicle architecture to drivetrain systems, software, vehicle dynamics control, and safety technology – every element is engineered to perform and prove its worth across the full breadth of real-world environments.
From Real Roads to One of the Most Demanding Driving Environments
ZEEKR ON ICE was held at the Southern Hemisphere Proving Grounds (SHPG), nestled in the Southern Alps on New Zealand’s South Island, where natural snow and ice surfaces create ideal conditions for testing vehicle control in low-traction environments. At the heart of this event was not merely the act of driving on ice, but taking vehicles engineered for everyday road use and proving their capabilities in a wholly contrasting environment. Participants were guided through a specially designed program under expert supervision, covering cornering, acceleration and braking, weight transfer, vehicle dynamics control, and ice drifting – allowing them to experience the full synergy between the drivetrain, suspension, braking system, electronic stability control, and safety technologies working in concert at peak performance.
What elevates ZEEKR ON ICE above an ordinary test event is that every vehicle driven on the ice was not a prototype or a purpose-built test mule, but a production model – the ZEEKR 7GT, ZEEKR 8X, and flagship models including the ZEEKR 001FR and ZEEKR 9X – the very same production vehicles driven by customers around the world on real roads every day. This includes the ZEEKR 7X and ZEEKR X, popular models already navigating Thailand’s roads, from the streets of Bangkok to provincial highways across the country. This means the electric vehicle that carries your children to school or takes your family on a long weekend journey is built with the same production engineering now being demonstrated in demanding low-traction conditions, including high-speed cornering, acceleration, braking and controlled drifting on an ice track. This is tangible, real-world proof – not advertising copy.
Tech Luxury Proven in the Real World
For ZEEKR, the meaning of Luxury in today’s automotive landscape extends well beyond premium materials, refined design, or comfort alone. It encompasses the technology working quietly behind the scenes – technology capable of delivering genuine confidence, precision, and a driving experience that can be felt and trusted by the person behind the wheel. Underpinning that confidence on the ice is an engineering investment ZEEKR has committed to from its very foundation: the SEA (Sustainable Experience Architecture) EV platform, designed with a low centre of gravity and optimized battery weight distribution, seamlessly integrated with an intelligent electric drivetrain capable of delivering instantaneous torque response with pinpoint accuracy at every fraction of a second. The result is a vehicle that manages wheel slip on low-traction surfaces with composure and precision. It is this very same suite of technologies that enabled ZEEKR to shatter the Guinness World Record, drifting through a gap of just 25 centimetres – and the same technology that has been carried over into every car that customers drive in their daily lives.
ZEEKR ON ICE therefore goes far beyond presenting figures on power output, acceleration times, or feature lists on a specification sheet. It opens the stage for those very technologies to be put to work in real-world conditions – led by the ZEEKR 001FR, the world’s first mass-produced pure electric shooting brake, blending luxury, comfort, and ultimate performance in perfect harmony. The ZEEKR 9X delivers the full breadth of flagship executive capability through performance, technology, and comfort that surpasses all expectations. The ZEEKR 7GT embodies the Grand Tourer character, seamlessly fusing sporting intent with premium refinement. ZEEKR 8X showcases the capability of an SUV that marries true agility with intelligent technology. ZEEKR 7X represents the aesthetic pinnacle of an electric SUV, uniting luxury and cutting-edge technology as a single, cohesive statement. The ZEEKR X is a premium compact SUV crafted entirely for the Urban Lifestyle.
Never Settling for “Excellent”
For ZEEKR, “the best” of today has never been its final answer. Each time the engineering team develops a technology to a standard at which many other brands might rest content, ZEEKR chooses to push the question further “Can we go even further?” Because the brand believes that innovation has no finish line and this conviction is not merely rhetoric, but must be demonstrated in every environment, from city streets to racing circuits, and now, an ice track in the Southern Alps of New Zealand’s South Island.
The Thailand representative, reflecting on their experience at the event, said “Being able to drive multiple ZEEKR models on an ice track gave me a perspective on these vehicles that is entirely different from driving on regular roads. Every corner, every burst of acceleration, every braking zone allowed me to feel the various systems working together, maintaining confident vehicle control even on a surface with virtually no grip. What truly impressed me was not simply the experience of driving in snow but witnessing first-hand what ZEEKR’s technology is genuinely capable of in a challenging environment. And perhaps most significantly of all – the car I was driving on the ice today is the exact same model I drive back home. That made me even more convinced of just how seriously this brand invests in its technology.”
Beyond the exhilarating driving sessions, participants also had the opportunity to explore and unwind amid the breathtaking landscapes of Queenstown, reflecting ZEEKR’s vision of the automobile as far more than a mode of transport, but as an integral part of life’s experiences. ZEEKR ON ICE is therefore more than a performance showcase; it is a testament to the brand’s steadfast commitment to investing in, developing, and continuously advancing technology to create truly exceptional experiences. It stands as proof of the conviction that behind every ZEEKR on the road, there is a brand that never stops challenging itself and never stops moving forward.