Lynk & Co will eventually come to the European market with a fully electric model, CEO Alain Visser says Techzle. The brand clearly chooses a different approach for Europe than in China, because here the number of models remains clearer.
For now, Lynk & Co only offers the hybrid and plug-in hybrid 01 in Europe, which was unveiled yesterday. In addition to the 01, a fully electric model will eventually come, but the range remains limited in Europe. “In China, we consciously opted for the traditional sales model,” Visser explains Techzle. “Buying a car in China is ‘cool’ and still very new (only recently have cars in China become more accessible to the people, ed.). If you offer them a membership, they are actually humiliated. With the traditional sales model a high number of different models is an advantage. “
“Simplicity is key for the subscription model in Europe and I think it is easier for the customer if we have fewer models,” argues the Fleming. “That’s not to say there won’t be a second or third model, but I can hardly imagine we will ever have more than three models. If we do something different, it would be a very small city car and a fully electric car, for example. I assume that our second car will be fully electric anyway. “
The future is electric
The brand currently sees the hybrid powertrains as the best solution, but in the long run the focus will be on fully electric driving. “We clearly see that as the future and we also want to work on making electric mobility the only solution in the future”, says the CEO. “That future may well be near, I hope and think it is, but that is not today. The technology is almost ready, costs are falling as volume is increasing. I think that the only problem is the infrastructure. Once the infrastructure is there in Europe, we will be there. In the family we have electromobility, you see it at Polestar and Volvo. “
Polestar and Volvo are sister brands within the Geely group that already offer fully electric models on the CMA platform with the 2 and the XC40 P8 Recharge respectively, which also includes the Lynk & Co 01. Geely is also developing a modular EV platform called ‘Sustainable Experience Architecture’. Lynk & Co has already designed a concept car, the Zero, based on this. It is likely that Polestar and Volvo will soon also use this platform. However, Visser has a clear reason why hybrid powertrains were chosen for the market introduction in Europe. “The technology is there, but if you offer one car with the mobility concept, we think hybrid is the better answer today.”