Lynk & Co – a new car brand from Geely

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The teaser website which went live few days ago, didn’t really say much. There wasn’t even a mention whether Geely’s new brand – Lynk & Co is anything related to transportation at all. But it all makes sense now, since Geely hopes its new compact SUV – Lynk & Co 01 to be the most connected car to date. The company has launched an open software platform (built with help from Alibaba and Microsoft), which gives developers an opportunity to create something useful. There is also a first dedicated app store for cars.

This is also one of the first vehicles built with sharing in mind. You can create digital locks that let specific people drive the 01 for a set amount of time. While you can run a car-sharing business if you like, Lynk & Co sees this more as a way of reducing the need for every family to have their own ride. You could share a 01 with others in your apartment building, or let a friend borrow it without having to give them a set of physical keys which they could lose. You’ll only need tangible keys as a backup, the company says.

“Connectivity to Lynk & Co will be what safety is to Volvo,” says Mats Fagerhag, Chief of the China Euro Vehicle Technology (CEVT). Lynk & Co will be using Volvo and Geely’s jointly developed Compact Modular Architecture (CMA) platform which also underpins Volvo’s upcoming 40 Series.

The 01 will be a hybrid with 1.5L or 2.0L engine, and there are 02 and 03 as well on the papers, which might be full electric.

Geely claims that as much as 25% of a car’s cost can be sunk into dealerships, so while it will have flagship stores around the world, its primary distribution method for Lynk & Co cars will be direct. The company hopes to get the first Lynk & Co vehicles out to China in 2017, to be followed by the U.S. and Europe later.