Author: Wang Jie

ZEEKR OS 4.0 is about to be fully released with 11 functional enhancements and 200 detail experience improvements compared to version 3.0. Although the differences are significant, the design logic is more scientific, and it can achieve “operation by looking at pictures”. Personally, I think it is well worth updating.

Keyless Control

1. The cockpit of ZEEKR 001 has almost no physical buttons. The biggest focus of this upgrade is to integrate functions highly into the central control screen, making it more convenient to access frequently used applications and the visual design is intuitive.

• ZEEKR OS 4.0 uses a brand new HMI design. The main page of the central control screen is set to a 3D driving scene mode, which automatically switches to the map when the D gear is engaged.

• the 3D virtual driving allows for quick control of car doors, rear doors, charging ports, mirror folding and other functions. At the same time, it can display the status of lights and car doors.

• Clicking on the brush-shaped icon in the lower right corner of the 3D virtual driving allows for customization of the car’s clothing. The virtual driving allows you to experience as many colors as there are in the actual car. You can also add racing clothing with one click to increase the performance atmosphere.

• Above the dock, four fixed position shortcut cards are added for itinerary, navigation, multimedia, and frequently used custom applications.

• The seat uses 3D rendering technology to make the adjustment more simple and convenient. The adjustment buttons for heating and ventilation are integrated in the corresponding seat adjustment area, and the dynamic effect provides real-time feedback on the adjustment.

• The air-conditioner can control independent switching and air flow direction in different areas. By touching the corresponding position on the screen, it can meet the different needs of the driver and co-driver.

• The charging status and mileage will be displayed on the page during charging, allowing users to feel the status in real time and have a sense of security.

2. Storage Box Password Lock

• The storage box in front of the co-driver is controlled by the button in front of the center console screen to open.

• The storage box can be equipped with a password lock designed in the center console screen to store important items. The password lock is valid for a long time until the password is changed. If you forget the password, you can reset it on the mobile phone.Translated English Markdown text with preserved HTML tags:

3. Optimized Layout of Central Control Screen & Instrument Panel

• The top functional area of the page is reserved even when other applications are opened. This semi-screen application design not only ensures the current display of main information but also provides a multi-functional scheduling operation, which increases trust in non-keyboard operation by facilitating jumps.

• The layout of the instrument panel more prominently highlights driving information, leaving the central large area for driving scenes and road conditions.

Software Improvements in Performance

1. Increasing Mileage through Software Optimization

• The energy is recovered and the winter driving pressure is reduced, improving the mileage of CLTC by 6-10 kilometers through the optimization of the heat management water circulation system, the utilization of motor residual heat, battery energy recovery, and intelligent distribution of four-wheel-drive torques. Intelligent torque allocation is also optimized for two-wheel-drive vehicles.

1. Improving Charging Efficiency

• Electric vehicles cannot use engine residual heat for heating as fuel cars do since heat cannot be collected from the engine without one. PTC heaters are often used in electric vehicle air conditioning systems because of their good heating effect, energy efficiency, and safety.

• After updating to ZEEKR OS 4.0, the body drives PTC heating and electric drive heating in parallel during low-temperature charging of PTC, improving battery charging efficiency without affecting the overall heating comfort of the vehicle interior. This can improve winter charging efficiency and save winter charging time.

Interaction Design

1. EVA, the Voice Assistant

• EVA, the voice assistant, has a more vivid image and new 3D dynamic expressions that show corresponding animation based on different scenes.

• New features have been added to EVA’s scope of execution, which can be implemented through voice control.

1. Ambient light + light show

• The ambient light is now updated to change in real time based on the central control screen.

• A new light show, “Radetzky March”, has been added. Additionally, the light show supports free creation and editing by every user, allowing them to create their own unique song and light show on the PC.

1. Black and white switching mode

• The screen can be set to automatically switch between dark and light mode depending on the time, such as setting the daytime to 7-18 o’clock, during which the central control screen will display in light mode, and at other times, the screen will automatically switch to dark mode.

Conclusion

From the first version launched in November 2021 to the free upgrade to the 8155 chip and the release of ZEEKR OS 3.0 in July of this year, and now version 4.0, Zeekr has given a satisfactory answer in terms of interaction experience and visual design through frequent and high-quality iterations.

Of course, there are still some issues, such as the inability to move the positions of the four shortcut cards; partial overlap between customized applications for the fourth shortcut card and the last item in the DOCK bar Application Market function; and when the driver’s seat is unoccupied, the central control screen will automatically turn off after the car door is opened and closed, even if there are other people in the car.But overall, during the experience of ZEEKR OS 4.0, I truly feel the technological enjoyment brought by the hardware pre-embedding and OTA, and I believe that continuous optimization is also the reason why the cumulative delivery of Krypton 001 can reach 70,000 units.

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.