The Spread of AI Technology Triggers an Increase in the Price of Electric Cars

The latest Zeekr 007 GT is predicted to increase in price. (Photo: Zeekr)

JAKARTA - Electric vehicle manufacturer Zeekr is rumored to be raising the price of its latest model, the Zeekr 007 GT, which is scheduled to launch in the second quarter of 2026. Based on regulatory documents revealed last month, the car is expected to experience a price increase of around 5,000 to 8,000 yuan.

This information was reinforced by an internal source of Zeekr who confirmed to the Chinese media Mydrivers regarding the potential adjustment of the price. However, Zeekr's customer service said that the official price figure for the latest model has not yet been finalized.

The price increase was triggered by the increasing cost of production in the automotive industry, especially related to important components such as semiconductor chips and lithium batteries. The rapid development of the artificial intelligence (AI) industry has caused the demand for memory chips to skyrocket, which has a direct impact on the rising price of semiconductors for the automotive sector.

On the other hand, uncertainty in the lithium mining industry has also narrowed the supply of electric vehicle batteries. This condition causes the cost of battery production to increase and puts additional pressure on electric car manufacturers.

In addition to cost factors, Zeekr also made a number of technical updates to the 007 GT. This latest model is said to switch from an 800-volt high-voltage architecture to 900 volts, an improvement in technology that also affects the selling price of the vehicle.

As an illustration, the Zeekr 007 GT which was launched in April 2025 is currently marketed at a price starting at 202,900 yuan, or Rp497 million. The latest version will also be equipped with Nvidia Drive Thor-U driver assistance system chips with DDR5X memory, components that are currently considered rare in the market.

Market research company TrendForce even noted that since the second half of 2025, the price of DDR5 memory used in automotive DRAM has jumped by 300 percent. Zeekr's price adjustment is not a single phenomenon.

On March 5, Chery Automobile's premium brand Exeed became the first manufacturer in 2026 to announce price increases. The ET5 210 Laser Radar Intelligent Luxury Edition model experienced an increase of 5,000 yuan.

Meanwhile, FAW Bestune also raised the price of the Yueyi 03 model by 2,000 to 5,000 yuan. Cost pressures also come from soaring raw material prices.

Launching Carnewschina, Wednesday, March 11, industry players noted that the price of lithium carbonate had increased from 75,000 yuan to 170,000 yuan per ton. In addition, the price of copper, aluminum, and various other important metals has also increased significantly, triggered by global supply chain disruptions and increased production of electric vehicles.

"If consumers want to buy a car, I personally suggest doing it as soon as possible," said Voyah Lu Fang Chairman.

Lu Fang explained that various factors, including soaring upstream raw material prices, changes in supply patterns, and competition with the AI industry for core resources, will inevitably increase costs for manufacturers and will eventually be reflected in retail prices.

Industry analysts quoted by CLS also said that the cost of memory chips alone could add a burden of around 1,000 to 3,000 yuan to each new energy vehicle. The value is considered quite large because it can erode profit margins on popular models and early-class premium vehicles.

Unlike the chip crisis in 2021 which was triggered by supply disruptions, the current condition is referred to by experts as a resource war between the automotive industry and artificial intelligence. HBM memory designed for AI needs offers a profit margin of up to 65 percent for chip manufacturers, much higher than memory for the automotive sector.

The CLS report also quoted a warning from UBS that chip shortages could potentially begin to affect global automotive production as early as the second quarter of this year. Electric vehicle manufacturers that rely heavily on high-tech chips are expected to be the most affected.