Zeekr Executive Slams Cadillac: ‘The Glory Of Detroit Is No More’

Cadillac has been butting heads with Chinese electric vehicle maker, Zeekr, ever since the luxury marque implied that the all-new Cadillac Optiq is a suitable alternative to Zeekr models. This sparked an intense social media rivalry, causing “Cadillac vs. Zeekr” to trend on Weibo, a Chinese microblogging platform. Zeeker, which is owned by Chinese automaker Geely, shot back at Caddy on social media, taunting the American automaker and claiming that “the glory of Detroit is no more.”

Per a report from CnEVPost, the rivalry began when the Chinese EV startup launched the 2025 Zeekr 007 sedan and its sportier counterpart, the 2025 Zeekr 001 shooting brake, both of which were significantly updated compared to their predecessors. Interestingly, these new models were introduced only six months after their predecessors launched, causing older models to depreciate extremely quickly. 

Zeekr 007

This opened the door for Cadillac to capitalize on the negative outcry against Zeekr. On Weibo, Caddy made a post criticizing Zeekr for releasing three vehicle generations in a single calendar year. Cadillac also touted the Optiq, which the luxury marque claims will retain 80 percent of its value over three years of ownership, while stating that the luxury crossover is a “ZEEKER REPLACEMENT” [sic] in Chinese and English on its post. 

Zeekr 001

Zeekr fired back in Chinese with a post from vice president Zhu Ling.

“The electric age, the rise of China, the glory of Detroit is no more,” Ling stated in the translated post. “It’s faster than you, it’s smarter than you, it’s younger than you, and it’s more affordable than you… Time doesn’t go back, history doesn’t go back, see you in my mirror.”

The Zeekr 007 starts at 290,000 yuan ($29,472 USD, at current exchange rates) and harnesses a single electric motor good for 415 horsepower. The Zeekr 001 shooting brake, meanwhile, starts at 259,000 yuan ($36,366 USD), and features 268 horsepower from its single electric motor. 

Interestingly, Cadillac has since removed its original post on Weibo. 

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