The top-spec models come with a 140-kWh Qilin battery pack and up to 536 horsepower.

Geely’s premium electric vehicle brand Zeekr has begun production of the 009 MPV at its plant in Ningbo, Zhejiang province, with deliveries expected to begin in China soon.

The Rolls-Royce-like Zeekr 009 is an all-electric people carrier with a standard 400-kilowatt (536-horsepower) dual-motor powertrain that accelerates the 6,239-pound (2,830-kilogram) minivan from 0-62 mph (0-100 kilometres per hour) in 4.5 seconds.

The 205-inch (5.2-metre) long EV is available with a choice of two batteries, starting with a 116-kilowatt-hour (kWh) pack with a maximum range of 436 miles (702 kilometres), while the larger pack delivers 140 kWh and a total range of 510 miles (822 kilometres) in the China CLTC test cycle.

Significantly, the Zeekr 009 with the larger battery pack is the first production vehicle to feature CATL’s mass-produced Kirin lithium nickel-manganese-cobalt batteries, the company’s third-generation battery pack (CTP) technology. The revised Zeekr 001 will also use the same 140 kWh battery, but is rated at a staggering 641 miles (1,031 kilometres) thanks to a smaller, lighter body.

The Zeekr 009 electric minivan WE model starts at RMB 499,000 ($73,700 at current exchange rates), while the premium model with a larger battery starts at RMB 588,000 ($86,800).

For this price, the Zeekr offers customers 30 advanced driver assistance systems powered by Mobileye’s seven 8-megapixel high-definition cameras, four 2-megapixel 360-degree cameras, 12 short-range ultrasonic radars and one long-range millimetre wave radar.

It also features air suspension with automatic levelling and electromagnetic damping, a 20-speaker Yamaha surround sound system, voice recognition and face recognition.

Production has already begun and deliveries will soon take place in China, where luxury minivans have become the new favourite of premium brands.