Screen display: If you are a legitimate user, please contact Zeekr official after-sales service to unlock. Credit: The Cover Understand China EV’s Market Real-time notifications when critical EV data is released All important data in one place 2,000,000+ data points Become a member A recent incident involving a Zeekr 9X owner from China, who experienced significant infotainment system restrictions while driving across the border into Kazakhstan, has sparked widespread discussion. The owner, identified as Mr. Liu, reported that his vehicle’s smart features – including navigation, the storage compartment, and the electronic fuel filler door – were locked for over 30 hours, causing major inconvenience during his planned cross-continental trip to Europe. Mr. Liu, who purchased the new SUV for approximately 500,000 yuan (73,500 USD) just six months ago, began his journey on July 8. Upon entering Kazakhstan on July 16, the vehicle’s system triggered restrictions, leaving him feeling as though the car was “half-disabled.” He noted that he had informed dealership staff of his cross-border travel plans during a pre-trip maintenance check but received no warnings regarding potential system limitations. Frustrated Mr Liu and his Zeekr 9X in Kazakhstan. On July 23, a spokesperson for Zeekr clarified the situation to the Chinese media National Business Daily, stating: “Upon verification, the vehicle’s location was detected in an overseas region, which triggered the built-in security protection mechanism.” The company explained that the system provides pop-up warnings, followed by a persistent screen prompt if the location status remains unchanged. Zeekr emphasised that this is a standard industry anti-theft and loss-prevention measure designed to protect owner assets and comply with international regulations and import/export management, preventing risks related to smuggling or theft. Zeekr further clarified that this mechanism does not affect core driving systems such as powertrain or braking, and there is no scenario where the “vehicle is locked” or “undrivable.” The company noted that the charging port can be opened by direct pressure, and the fuel filler door can be unlocked by long-pressing the physical hazard light button inside the cabin for five seconds, bypassing the need for the infotainment system. According to the manufacturer, once a user verifies that the cross-border travel is legitimate, the restrictions can be lifted via an authorisation code. The company confirmed that Mr Liu’s vehicle has since been verified, and the system prompts have been removed. However, temporary unlocking is restricted to a single region, driving across multiple countries may result in the vehicle being locked again. “We are maintaining close communication with the user to actively assist with follow-up matters and will continue to optimise our security strategies based on user feedback to improve the cross-border travel experience,” Zeekr stated. On 1 July, Geely‘s brand Zeekr released data showing that 35,169 vehicles were delivered in June, a year-on-year increase of 111%, a total of 178,370 vehicles were delivered from January to June, a year-on-year increase of 97%. Zeekr 9X. Credit: Zeekr Most important news in your inbox. Recaps · scheduled All you need, in one email. Instant alerts · real-time Ping me when an article goes live. 0 of 27 topics selected Bundle into one email per day — instead of one email per article No spam · Unsubscribe with one click · Change settings anytime