European debutant
Lynk & Co will take the curtain off a new model in 2024. This will be the brand’s first fully electric car. What seems? It will not be a model that has been on the road in China for a while, but a new EV that will be the first to come onto the market in Europe.
While Volvo and other Geely brands such as Polestar, Zeekr, Smart and even Lotus are presenting one new electric car after another, Lynk & Co has not yet gone further than plug-in hybrids in terms of electrification. In its home country China it supplies a whole range of plug-ins, but in Europe the supply range with only the plug-in hybrid 01 is extremely limited. In 2024, Lynk & Co will finally add a second model to its European portfolio. This will also be the brand’s first electric car. Of course, we don’t make that up our sleeves, but we hear it in conversation with none other than Lynk & Co CEO Alain Visser.
In conversation with AutoWeek, Visser explains that Lynk & Co always intended to come up with an electric model, but that the time was not yet ripe for that. “We have always said that the intention was to go electric. We started with a (plug-in) hybrid because the charging infrastructure then – and in some countries still – was not sufficient. We will launch a fully electric model at the end of next year .” Contrary to what was previously said, this will not be the direct successor to the 01. At least, not in every European country. “The Lynk & Co 01 will remain on. In some countries – especially Spain and Italy – the market for electric cars is still very small.”
The first electric Lynk & Co will also be the brand’s first model to debut in Europe. “The new model has never been shown before and will first come to Europe, then to China,” the CEO explains. “[…] It is also a clear signal: this car was developed for Europe.”
The Lynk & Co 01 has been driving around in a facelifted form in China for a while. The subtly refreshed 01 has never appeared in Europe and therefore also in the Netherlands. “The 01 in China is slightly different than in Europe. We have consciously decided to continue with the current 01 design in Europe. There will be minor changes next year. In the car industry you often see that brands but introduce facelifts so that they have something to say. We don’t go along with that, that makes it easier for our customers. They might otherwise think ‘I want the new one, not the old one’. So there is little new for the 01, it big news (next year) will be the electric Lynk & Co.”
Pictured: Lynk & Co 06 and Lynk & Co 08.
– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl