Geely Auto knocked 4 per cent off its price catalogue as it began shipping its latest electric sport-utility vehicle (SUV) model to customers on Friday, throwing down yet another gauntlet against Tesla Model Y for the crown in China's electric vehicle (EV) market.

Zeekr Intelligent Technology, the premium EV label in Geely's portfolio, priced the 7X at 229,900 yuan (US$32,539) during the SUV's launch ceremony in Shanghai, knocking 4 per cent, or 9,100 yuan, off the presale price set on August 30.

"After consulting some customers, we decided to price the model at an even more attractive price", Zeekr's CEO An Conghui said. "The 7X is the best fully-electric SUV at the best price".

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The additional discount widened Zeekr's price advantage in the brutal discount war that is taking place in the world's biggest market for electric vehicles. The 7X, which was already 4 per cent cheaper than Model Y before the latest reduction, received bookings for more than 58,000 vehicles since the Hangzhou-based carmaker began taking orders three weeks ago.

A view of the Zeekr 7X midsize SUV. Photo: Zeekr Intelligent Technology alt=A view of the Zeekr 7X midsize SUV. Photo: Zeekr Intelligent Technology>

Zeekr offers the five-seat 7X in two options: a standard edition that can travel 605km (376 miles) on a single charge, or an extended version that can go up to 780km on a charge.

The short-range edition, powered by Zeekr's own lithium-ion-phosphate (LFP) battery, features 800-volt ultra-fast charging technology, which can offer nearly 400km of driving range after just 10.5 minutes of charging. The batteries boast the world's fastest charging capability, Zeekr said.

Model Y, the bestselling EV in China, pales by comparison, with its entry-level variant managing 554km on a single charge. The 7X is fitted with an autonomous driving system and built on the open-source Sustainable Experience Architecture (SEA) platform launched by Geely in late 2020.

"Zeekr has joined its domestic peers like Nio and Xpeng to take on Tesla with [smarter] models that are cheaper than Model 3 and Model Y", said Eric Han, a senior manager at Suolei, an advisory firm in Shanghai. "The new cars have already prompted Tesla to upgrade its existing models to enhance its competitiveness in China".