A week with the Zeekr 7X Performance: Dr Karl’s first time living with an EV

March 15, 2026 Toby Hagon

When Dr Karl Kruszelnicki spent time with the Zeekr 7X Performance, it wasn’t just another car test. It was a genuine first: the first time one of Australia’s best known scientists had lived with an electric vehicle for more than a quick drive – and the first time he’d driven a Chinese-built car.

His verdict? Genuine surprise.

“It was the first time I’ve actually had an EV for any length of time, and it was just lovely to drive,” said Dr Karl, who has become familiar to many Australians through many years of ABC appearances patiently explaining the world around us.

Importantly, the Zeekr didn’t impress him simply because it’s electric – or because it’s Chinese.

“It doesn’t fit into the category of ‘it’s good for an EV’ or ‘it’s good for a Chinese car’. It’s actually really good, full stop,” he said.

Surprising quality

What stood out immediately to Dr Karl was the quality of the interior.

“The level of fitting and the stitchwork is just gorgeous inside,” he said. “It is really nice.”

Coming into the car without any expectations, he found the overall presentation – materials, finishes and detailing – a genuine surprise.

“Honestly, the stitchwork here is just astonishingly nice.”

For someone used to decades of conventional petrol cars – including a hybrid – the Zeekr’s interior left a strong first impression.

Space for everyone

Another highlight was the sheer room inside the large electric SUV.

“Tonnes of space, front and rear,” he said. “Everybody was very happy.”

Family members who rode along quickly grew comfortable with the cabin layout and spaciousness.

Even if some of the design choices took a little longer to understand.

The tech, in particular, wasn’t always as logical as he’d like (more on that soon).

Supercar acceleration … maybe too much?

The 7X Performance’s headline number – around 3.8 seconds from 0–100km/h – left a big impression.

“The power is good. It’s more than good,” Dr Karl said. “That sort of acceleration is up in motorbike or Porsche territory.”

But he also wondered whether such performance might be overkill for everyday drivers.

“I didn’t want to scare her, but I did want to give my sister-in-law a taste of EV acceleration,” he said.

“She was curious about EVs. I warned her in advance how brutal it would be. I’m sorry to say that I actually scared her by 45km/h. Of course, I backed off immediately. The acceleration of an EV can be frightening to somebody unaccustomed to it.”

That level of performance raised a broader question in his mind.

“It’s nice having that power, but does the average person need it? In an emergency situation, could they use that power badly? Especially if they were a little inexperienced.”

His suggestion? Perhaps cars like this should default to a low power mode.

“It does seem kind of silly having super-high power available all the time.”

Driving impressions

Around town, the Zeekr made a strong impression from behind the wheel.

“I just drove it around town several times and it was lovely to drive,” he said.

Dr Karl didn’t get the chance to take it on a longer trip, but day-to-day driving left him with a positive impression of the vehicle’s refinement and usability.

As for charging, that didn’t get a workout either.

With 543km of claimed range for the 7X Performance he never needed to top it up.

Cameras and tech

One feature that particularly impressed Dr Karl was the camera system.

“The camera display was just gorgeous,” he said.

“I love the Eye-of-God view.”

The system’s ability to show distances to surrounding vehicles while manoeuvring also stood out.

“I love the fact that it tells you the distance when you’re going backwards and forwards and how close you are to the other car.”

He also noted that the cameras worked clearly day and night, something that we’ve found to be a feature of some of the newer Chinese cars.

Physical controls still matter

While the Zeekr is packed with digital features, Dr Karl appreciated that some essential functions still use physical controls.

“One of the things I like about it is they’ve actually got a volume knob for the radio,” he said, although he wasn’t a fan of having the hazard light switch on the roof.

“I like the fact that the essential things are hand-controlled – the gear you want to be in, the wipers, the blinkers, and the volume for the radio. It’s stupid to have something as safety-critical as wipers accessible only via a screen – wipers need their own control stick.”

For someone used to traditional car layouts, he reasoned that the mix of digital and tactile controls felt like a sensible balance.

Even if the right-hand stalk that doubles as the gear selector – one of the many functionality elements borrowed from Tesla – takes some getting used to.

“It’s slightly illogical,” he said. “You take a while to adjust.”

Some quirks along the way

Like many modern EVs, however, some features took time for Dr Karl to figure out.

For example, adjusting airflow direction through the touchscreen rather than a physical vent control felt unnecessarily complicated.

“Over the years, the average person has developed the concept that you adjust the air vents with your hands,” he said. “But it’s totally unfamiliar that you go to a screen, which talks to an electric motor that moves the vent,” he said.

“From an engineering point of view, that’s simply another electric motor that can fail! Good luck in getting that fixed when it fails in seven years.”

There were also a few design elements that puzzled him, including the door handles – or, more specifically, the door buttons.

Press a button, make sure you’re not blocking the way and the door will swing open.

Sit inside and press the brake pedal and the door closes.

Which was all a bit of overkill for Dr Karl.

And he made the very valid point that it is still fitted with door handles that don’t do anything…

A strong first EV impression

For someone experiencing both an EV and a Chinese car for the first time, the Zeekr 7X left a strong impression.

“It was a two-fer,” he joked.

While he admits it would be interesting to compare the car against other EVs, his takeaway from the experience was simple.

For a first taste of electric driving, the Zeekr didn’t feel like a novelty or a compromise.

It just felt like a very good car – with the occasional quirk and question mark.

Dr Karl’s score: 4/5

Zeekr 7X Performance price and specifications

Price: $72,900 plus on-road costs
Basics: EV, 5 seats, 5 doors, SUV, AWD
Range: 543km (WLTP)
Battery capacity: 100kWh NMC
Battery warranty: 8 years/160,000km
Energy consumption: 19.9kWh/100km
Motors: 1 front 165kW/270Nm and 1 rear 310kW/440Nm (475 kW/710 Nm combined)
AC charging: 22kW, Type 2 plug
DC charging: 420kW, CCS combo plug
0-100km/h: 3.8 seconds (claimed)