ZEEKR's stock price plummeted 5.01% in Thursday's pre-market trading following news that its parent company, Geely Group, is consolidating its in-house digital cockpit system R&D teams. This move, which affects ZEEKR along with other Geely brands, has sparked investor concerns about potential disruptions to ZEEKR's operations and the broader implications of Geely's restructuring efforts.

According to sources familiar with the matter, Geely is merging digital cockpit teams from ZEEKR, Lynk & Co, and Geely brands, which have previously operated independently. This consolidation involves nearly 2,000 engineers and is part of Geely's larger strategy to streamline its workforce and improve efficiency. While Geely stated there are "no plans for redundancies," the uncertainty surrounding potential job losses and the impact on ZEEKR's product development has likely contributed to the stock's sharp decline.

Investors appear to be reacting cautiously to this latest development in Geely's ongoing restructuring efforts. The consolidation of R&D teams follows Geely's recent moves to integrate its smart driving R&D teams and reorganize its brands into two main units. While these changes aim to enhance synergies and reduce costs, they also introduce short-term uncertainties that may be weighing on ZEEKR's stock price. As the market digests this news, all eyes will be on how effectively ZEEKR can navigate these organizational changes and maintain its competitive edge in the premium EV segment.