Zero Run C01: From Production to Official Launch

On April 23, 2022, Zero Run announced the C01 model, which uses its mass-produced CTC technology. The official release and pre-sales began on May 10, with a pre-sale price ranging from 180,000 to 270,000 yuan. The C01 is positioned as the flagship sedan of Zero Run and was officially launched on September 28.

The official price for the C01 ranges from 193,800 to 286,800 yuan, with the following configurations:

• 193,800 yuan – Rear-wheel drive standard range version
• 209,800 yuan – Rear-wheel drive long range version
• 231,800 yuan – Rear-wheel drive extended range version
• 251,800 yuan – Four-wheel drive dual-motor performance version
• 286,800 yuan – Four-wheel drive dual-motor high-performance version

There is also a Comfort Package option worth 20,000 yuan which includes a massage and ventilation system for the front seats, Nappa leather seats, heated rear seats, 10-way adjustable driver seat, rear CEO seat, 19-inch wheels, steering wheel heating, 12-speaker audio system, auto-dimming rearview mirror, and V2L discharge gun. This package can be added to all models except the top-of-the-line version.

If you order now, you can enjoy a 10,000 yuan discount, making the current price range from 183,800 to 276,800 yuan, which is 3,800 yuan and 6,800 yuan respectively more expensive than the pre-sale price range.

On the day of the C01’s release on May 10, 2022, pre-orders for the vehicle reached 20,764 within 4 hours. By mid-September, pre-orders for the C01 had exceeded 100,000, making it a extremely popular pre-order among customers. As Zero Run’s flagship product, the C01 uses the company’s most advanced technology in design, configuration, and interior quality.

We had the opportunity to test drive the C01 before its official launch, specifically the most-sold rear-wheel drive extended range version, which is priced at 231,800 yuan. To read the complete vehicle review, you can click on the link below:

Zero Run C01 with Over 100,000 Pre-Orders: Is it Really Popular?

If you’re stuck between the Zero Run C01, the BYD Dolphin, the NIO ES or the Changan Shenlan SL03, you can also click on the link below to dispel your doubts:# Configuration Selection

Vehicle Configuration

According to the configuration table, we can see that the basic configuration of C01 remains almost consistent, whether it is the front double wishbone and rear multi-link suspension, or the full set of advanced driving assistance and three-screen display, are all standard options. The five configurations only differ in range and acceleration.

First, let’s take a look at the three versions of the rear-wheel-drive single-motor model, priced between 193,800 and 231,800 yuan. There is a difference of 0.2-0.3 seconds in the 0-100 km/h acceleration, with the entry-level version at 7.7 seconds and the long-range version at 7.2 seconds, but the power and torque are consistent, so the actual experience is only slightly different and not too noticeable.

Secondly, there is the difference in range. The range of the three versions of the rear-wheel-drive single-motor model are 525 km, 606 km, and 717 km, respectively. The first two use lithium iron phosphate batteries, while the latter uses ternary lithium batteries, which perform better in low-temperature conditions with a 90 kWh battery.

After our previous experience, we drove from Shengquan Mountain in Beijing, took the Jingmi Expressway to the Daguan Expressway, then took the Jingping Expressway to Terminal 2 of the Capital Airport. The total distance is 59.3 km, with a ratio of about 1:9 between the ground and the highway sections. We drove at about 120 km/h on the highway section. The outdoor temperature was 29 degrees Celsius, the air conditioning was set to 22 degrees, and the car was loaded with three adult males, with a curb weight of 2.3 tons.

After driving for 1.1 hours, the average displayed energy consumption of the vehicle was 18 kWh/100 km. At the beginning of the drive, the displayed remaining range of the vehicle was 491 km, and at the destination, it was 411 km. After driving 60 km, the displayed range decreased by 80 km, and based on this calculation, the actual range of the CLTC 717 km battery is about 537 km.

Similarly, under the above conditions, the theoretical range of the lowest and second lowest configurations should be 393 km and 454.5 km, respectively, for your reference. Therefore, if you have a high demand for range, often drive long distances, and cannot install a home charging pile, the rear-wheel-drive long-range version with a range of 717 km will be the most suitable and most popular choice for you.

If you also pursue both power and range, the four-wheel-drive dual-motor performance version and the four-wheel-drive dual-motor high-performance version priced at 251,800 yuan and 286,800 yuan, respectively, will meet your requirements. The power and range values ​​of the two are no different, but the acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h is 4.3 seconds for one and a more extreme 3.66 seconds for the other. However, the power level of 400 kW, whether high or low power, is very abundant.

In addition, for an additional cost of 35,000 yuan, the four-wheel-drive dual-motor high-performance version also comes standard with a sports package, including 20-inch wheels, aurora green interior and exterior decoration, and carbon fiber decorative strips. If you have a special pursuit for appearance and performance, this will be a better choice, and passers-by can immediately recognize that it is the top-of-the-line LI C01.

Optional Packages

The current optional package has a discount of 10,000 yuan and contains many configurations, which is far beyond the value of 10,000 yuan. According to LI’s previous tradition, we still recommend you to choose it. At the September 26 forum, Zhu Jiangming also confidently stated that most users will choose this value-for-money optional package.

As a mid-sized car, the right rear seat of the LI C01 can be equipped with a CEO seat that can enhance its commercial attributes. Functionally, the seat back can be adjusted forwards and backwards. Unlike other car models, when adjusting the backrest angle of the C01 backwards, the boss seat must be moved forward by 10 cm. However, in order to maintain headroom and appearance, legroom is also sacrificed.

In addition, whether it’s heating and ventilation or massage, the optional package worth 10,000 yuan is also highly recommended.

Conclusion

At the C01 talk show on September 26th, Lingzhi Motors stated that the users of this car are mostly concentrated between 25 and 40 years old, with a large proportion being between 30 and 40 years old.

Therefore, Lingzhi Motors has set its user group very wide, including both young and middle-aged groups, as well as those with business needs. Through actual experience, it’s easy to find that Lingzhi Motors wants to become a “bucket type” player by offering large space, boss key, luxurious configurations, and colorful paint colors.

For users, there are already XPeng P7, BYD Han EV, and Tesla Model 3 in this price range, and Lingzhi Motors also regards XPeng P7, BYD Han EV, and Hebao as C01’s competitors.

However, when the vehicle’s price reaches 200,000 to 300,000 yuan, its attributes are no longer just a means of transportation but also have certain social attributes. Therefore, before purchasing a car, everyone will also consider brand, service, and supporting facilities, which is also the direction that several new energy independent brands in the first tier are striving for.

Under a cost-effective price, whether Lingzhi Motors can increase sales and elevate its position, including the result of later IPO, still relies on sales to boost its efforts.

This article is a translation by ChatGPT of a Chinese report from 42HOW. If you have any questions about it, please email bd@42how.com.